Lgbt Students For Showing Sexuality On Campuses Essay

In March of 2006 Liberty University of Lynchburg Virginia arrested gay rights Advocates on their campus.Liberty University is a public campus which means they receive federal funding.Universities that are private do not obtain funds from the government. Liberty University is a public Baptist campus which means it receives funds from the United States government.Public universities are required to comply with Title-IX.This prevents Colleges from discriminating against LGBT students and applicants based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual preference.However campuses like Liberty University find ways to be exempt from this bill. This leads to the questions Should all public colleges comply with Title IX? Is accepting LGBT students just a means to increase campus diversity statics? Why do colleges punish LGBT students for showing sexuality on campuses? In this paper I will analyze weather all colleges private and public should comply with Title IX, if sexual orientation ha s to do with admission process, and weather campuses lie about being accepting of the LGBT community. Liberty University has donated over $60,000 to end Title IX. Many senators Have come out with support to the LGBT community where others have classified them as Sinful Christians. Liberty University has help these Senators with funds to help end this bill. Which leaves the question should all colleges have to comply with Title IX. Calvin College said, â€Å"We believe that homosexualShow MoreRelatedLgbt Students For Showing Sexuality On Campuses Essay2063 Words   |  9 PagesThis prevents Colleges from discriminating against LGBT students and applicants based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual preference.However, campuses like Liberty University find ways to be exempt from this bill. This leads to the questions Should all public colleges comply with Title IX? Is accepting LGBT students just a means to increase campus diversity statics? Why do colleges punish LGBT students for showing sexuality on campuses? In this paper, I will analyze whether all colleges Lgbt Students For Showing Sexuality On Campuses Essay In March of 2006 The Liberty University of Lynchburg Virginia arrested gay rights Advocates on their campus.Liberty University is a public campus which means they receive federal funding.Universities that are private do not obtain funds from the government. Liberty University is a public Baptist campus which means it receives funds from the United States government.Public universities are required to comply with Title-IX.This prevents Colleges from discriminating against LGBT students and applicants based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual preference.However, campuses like Liberty University find ways to be exempt from this bill. This leads to the questions Should all public colleges comply with Title IX? Is accepting LGBT students just a means to increase campus diversity statics? Why do colleges punish LGBT students for showing sexuality on campuses? In this paper, I will analyze whether all colleges private and public should comply with Title IX, if sexual orientat ion has to do with the admission process, and whether campuses lie about being accepting of the LGBT community. Liberty University has donated over $60,000 to end Title IX. Many senators Have come out with support for the LGBT community where others have classified them as Sinful Christians. Liberty University has helped these Senators with funds to help end this bill. Which leaves the question should all colleges have to comply with Title IX. Calvin College said, â€Å"We believe thatShow MoreRelatedLgbt Students For Showing Sexuality On Campuses Essay2066 Words   |  9 PagesThis prevents Colleges from discriminating against LGBT students and applicants based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual preference.However campuses like Liberty University find ways to be exempt from this bill. This leads to the questions Should all public colleges comply with Title IX? Is accepting LGBT students just a means to increase campus diversity statics? Why do colleges punish LGBT students for showing sexuality on campuses? In this paper I will analyze weather all colleges

Night Creature Dark Moon Chapter Sixteen Free Essays

string(146) " Somewhere along the line he’d discarded the suit and found a bright, white T-shirt and a pair of jeans; his holster and his gun were gone\." The woman had a point. Kind of. Since we were dealing with werewolves, there weren’t a lot of rule books. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Creature: Dark Moon Chapter Sixteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nowhere did it say I couldn’t become different, even from what I was. Damien had. Of course, he’d been cursed. Blessed. Hell, I didn’t know anymore. But since sex is a normal, physical function of both humans and wolves, perhaps in abstaining, I’d done myself more harm than good. See, I could rationalize with the best of them. â€Å"Jess? Will called. â€Å"We’re supposed to check in with Sheriff Stephenson.† â€Å"Keep your pants on, Slick.† Jessie moved past me and into the hall. â€Å"Or maybe take them off,† she murmured so only I could hear. â€Å"He looks much better that way.† A muffled thump at the front of the house announced they’d left, and weariness washed over me again. I stumbled into the room that was now mine, dumped my sweat-stained clothes, then crawled beneath the chilly sheets in nothing but Jessie’s T-shirt. The windows were covered with heavy curtains – a Jger-Sucher staple, issued right along with silver ammunition and fake IDs, since most of them slept in the daytime and hunted all night. Considering that, a vampire would make a great werewolf hunter, if you could trust the bloodsucking undead. I’m sure it goes without saying that you can’t. I awoke much later, rested but stiff. I’d slept so heavily my body was in the same position as when I lay down. Unusual for me. I was an active sleeper. Lucky I slept alone. Except I wasn’t alone. The instant I woke up, I heard someone breathing. The door was closed. I remembered leaving it open. In an attempt to fool whoever had invaded my place, I kept my respiration deep and even. I moved nothing except my eyes. Near the window stood a man. I tried to pin his scent, but he’d showered so recently I caught only a whiff of soap and damp hair. New clothes that smelled of the plastic they’d come in, new shoes so fresh I could taste the rubber. Best defense and all that, I bounded out of bed and had my elbow around his neck before he could turn. He tried to talk but I was cutting off his air. This close I didn’t need to smell him. I knew the shape of that body, the texture of the skin. I loosened my hold, and he turned. â€Å"Miss me, sweetheart?† It was a rare occasion when I didn’t know who was coming after me long before they got there. Those few seconds of not knowing had scared me. â€Å"Do you have a death wish?† I snapped. I stalked across the room and tapped the reading lamp on the bedside table. The muted glow barely reached into the corner where he hovered. â€Å"No one throws me out of town,† Nic said. â€Å"I think someone did.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"I’m here, aren’t I?† â€Å"And when Edward sees you he’ll have a temper tantrum. I don’t want to watch.† Edward’s temper tantrums usually consisted of guns firing, blood spurting, bodies bursting into flames. Nic crossed the room and crowded into my space. The action should have been intimidating. I’m sure he meant it to be. Instead, I found his nearness, his attempt at dominance, arousing. Why did he have this effect on me? I wished the desire would go away. I wished he would go away. As if he’d heard my thoughts, he grabbed my arms, and gave me a little shake. My breath caught on a gasp, not of shock, but excitement. I was pathetic. Since when had I enjoyed being manhandled? Since the man doing the handling was Nic. â€Å"I’m not leaving.† His fingers tightened as I tried to get away. I could have, easily, if I hadn’t been enjoying the struggle so much. â€Å"What hold does Mandenauer have on you, Elise? What is it that he knows?† I froze, eyes going wide. â€Å"Who is he to you?† â€Å"M-my boss.† â€Å"There’s more to it than that.† He was right, but I couldn’t tell him so. â€Å"When you disappeared,† Nic murmured, â€Å"I asked everyone if they’d seen you, but no one had.† Trust Edward to make sure of it. â€Å"Except for the guy sneaking in from a night celebrating a solid C on his biology test.† Uh-oh. â€Å"He saw a beautiful blonde leaving with a skinny, scary old man.† I swallowed. â€Å"So?† â€Å"Now I’ve met the skinny, scary old man and I wonder†¦ He wasn’t your boss then, so why did you leave with him?† My head tilted; my hair, loose and wild, brushed his arm and his nostrils flared, even as his lips thinned. He was furious. And as aroused as I was. â€Å"I left because I wanted to.† That much was true. I’d wanted to get away from a place where everyone had suddenly smelled like meat. â€Å"You were†¦ too clingy,† I blurted. â€Å"You were pushing me into something I wasn’t ready for.† Something sparked in his eyes, and for an instant I was afraid of him, which was foolish. He couldn’t hurt me. At least not physically. â€Å"You mean this?† His mouth crushed down. Our teeth clashed. I tasted blood. Mine? Nic’s? I didn’t care. The taste, the scent, only tempted me to give in to the wildness I kept trapped inside. My lips opened. I welcomed him in. Our tongues dueled – touch, spar, retreat. I shuddered, fighting the urge to draw more blood. His fingers wound in my hair, pulling my head back so he could trace a heated path down my throat. His tongue pressed against my pulse; his teeth worried a fold of skin as his fingers stroked my already aroused nipple to an aching peak. Had he come back for me, or for this? Didn’t matter. I wanted him. Always had. I needed to hold on to something or fall, so I clutched his shoulders, then became fascinated with the thin line of his collarbone and the shape of his biceps. Somewhere along the line he’d discarded the suit and found a bright, white T-shirt and a pair of jeans; his holster and his gun were gone. The lack of dress-up clothes and a weapon – his new, yet somehow old, outfit – reminded me of the boy I’d fallen in love with. Happier, more innocent times, when we’d lie on the couch all tangled together, studying, kissing, unable to resist the fury of first sexual awareness. Nic’s hands fluttered down my back, under the flimsy cover of the T-shirt, stilling when he encountered nothing but skin. His fingernails scraped the sensitive area where my thighs sloped into my rear, before he filled his palms and ground us together. I wanted to wrap my legs around his waist and ride the tide. As if he knew my thoughts, he lifted me, settled my knees over his hips, and buried his face between my breasts. I crossed my ankles behind his back and clenched, pressing myself against him. Cursing, he whirled and dumped me onto the bed, then he lost the jeans and the T-shirt. The lamplight turned his skin to gold. He’d grown in the years we’d been apart, and without his clothes he seemed taller, broader, stronger. His shoulders were wide, his waist narrow, his legs long and taut. The light dusting of dark hair across his chest led down his flat stomach and fed into a curling frame around another part that seemed a lot bigger without clothes. I’d touched him in college – my hand down his pants, his breath harsh and rasping as I worked him in my palm and made him come – but I’d never seen him. I didn’t get much time to see him now. One look at my face and he joined me on the bed. He didn’t ask, didn’t hesitate, and I was glad. If I’d had too much time to think, maybe I would have stopped him. But I doubted it. I’d held Nic in my heart as the man of my dreams, the one I could never have, and if I couldn’t have him, I didn’t want anyone. So here I was, a twenty-nine-year-old virgin werewolf. Fat lot of good abstinence had done me. If I lost my soul, so be it. They could always shoot me tomorrow. Nic took my mouth; and then he took my body. One deep thrust and I was no longer a virgin. The werewolf thing was going to be a little bit harder to get rid of. The pain was minute; I endured worse every full moon. However, Nic froze, then slowly lifted his head. The anger still lurked in his eyes, but there was wariness now, and a gentleness I hadn’t seen since he’d returned. â€Å"Why didn’t you tell me?† â€Å"You didn’t ask.† His forehead dropped to rest against mine. â€Å"Elise – â€Å" â€Å"Don’t stop. If you stop, I just might have to kill you.† He gave a half-laugh, but I wasn’t kidding. My body was on fire. My skin felt too small for my body. Every sensation bubbled in my blood. My hands clutched his back, learning the swell of his buttocks, the curves and the dips. Urging him closer, I asked the eternal question and was answered with another fierce thrust. The entire world narrowed to the one small area where we had joined. My virginity was history, and I was still a woman. Or as close to a woman as I got. Jessie had asked: What more could the universe do to me? Right now, I only cared what else Nic could do to me and for how long. I rose to meet him, and his body responded, pulsing within me to the beat of our hearts. Eyes closed, head thrown back, with every movement he reached deeper, loomed larger. â€Å"More,† I mumbled against his mouth, then bit his lip. â€Å"Harder.† â€Å"I’ll hurt – â€Å" â€Å"You won’t.† I clasped his hips and showed him what I needed. â€Å"You can’t.† What had started out rough became rougher. The slide of flesh against flesh incited me. Arching, I offered my breasts, only Jessie’s T-shirt was in the way. I tried to tug it free, but the material was sandwiched between us and there was no way we were going to separate now. With a growl that seemed to reach all the way to my toes, he put his hand in the neck and tore the garment down the front. Lowering his head, he captured one nipple, then scored it with his teeth. My body trembled, and I tightened around him. Shuddering, he suckled, his tongue pushing me against the roof of his mouth in a rhythm echoed by our bodies. I could no longer keep my eyes open as a whole new world exploded in my mind. The forest, the trees, the sky – no moon, full moon – the answer to every question I’d ever had, right there, so close, I could almost hear the words, see the solution. I was no longer divided but whole. Not woman and wolf, just me. Two become one in a rite as old as time, and then†¦ I climaxed with a startled gasp as he reached a place meant only for him. Over and over and over again, he moved within me, and the orgasm surged through us both. When the last shudder fell away, and the air shifted from hot to cool, I ran my palm over his hair. My chest went tight. I wanted to both hold him close and fling him away. Nic rolled from my body and onto the bed. He didn’t speak; I wasn’t sure what to say. I felt both different and the same. How could that be? â€Å"This isn’t what I came here for.† His voice was remote. I wasn’t sure what I’d done, or maybe not done. â€Å"No?† He made a sound of disgust and sat up. â€Å"I didn’t use a condom. Dammit!† He scrubbed a hand through his hair. I wasn’t worried, since I couldn’t get pregnant, and, since lycanthropy can heal a non-silver bullet to the head, STDs aren’t even a blip on our radar. Too bad I couldn’t explain any of this to Nic. â€Å"I’ve never been so stupid in my life,† he muttered. Suddenly naked and alone, I glanced away and my gaze was caught by a smudge of blood on my inner thigh. Quickly I wrapped the covers around me so he wouldn’t see. â€Å"Thanks,† I murmured. â€Å"I didn’t mean it like that.† â€Å"What did you mean?† He lifted his hands, lowered them. â€Å"You confuse the hell out of me, Elise. I see you, and it’s like you never went away. Everything feels the same, but we’re not the same people.† He had that right, I wasn’t even a people anymore. Had I ever been? â€Å"You look as if seven days have passed, instead of seven years.† He tilted his head, stared at my face. â€Å"How can that be?† His words reminded me, if I’d needed any reminding, that we could never be together. Not really. Sooner or later he’d find out what I was, what I’d done, and he’d hate me. â€Å"I want to hate you,† he murmured. I started. Could he read my mind? â€Å"You don’t?† His gaze wandered over the bed, then over me. â€Å"Did that feel like hate to you?† â€Å"No.† He sighed. â€Å"But it wasn’t love.† Then why had it felt like love to me? My eyes burned and I stood. The languid, peaceful feeling fled, and as I paced the room, dragging the end of the bedspread behind me, a buzzing energy took its place. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror above the dresser, I froze. My eyes had bled blue; not a hint of white surrounded the iris. Wolf’s eyes, except for one difference. Most laymen aren’t aware that only puppies have blue eyes. So if you see a wolf in the wild with orbs of blue? Better hope you have a silver bullet handy. Panic made my breathing shallow. When I was wolf, I had human eyes, so what did it mean that they had gone wolf when I wasn’t? I doubted it was a good thing. I glanced into the mirror once more. Nic was getting dressed. Convenient, since I had to get rid of him right now. â€Å"You wanted me,† I said. â€Å"You had me. Get out.† His head lifted, he turned in my direction. I ducked my face so my hair would cover my eyes. If he saw them I was doomed. Or he was. â€Å"What?† he murmured. Beneath the calm I heard liquid steel, red hot and bubbling. â€Å"We both wanted to see what we’d missed.† I inched toward the door with a shrug. â€Å"Now we know. It wasn’t all that much.† â€Å"You lie almost as badly as you fuck.† I winced. He was lying, too. Despite my inexperience, even I knew what we’d just shared had been as far from bad as it had been from a common fuck. I heard him coming after me but I didn’t pause to see how close he was. If I could get into the hallway, he’d never catch me. Yanking open the door, I nearly screamed as a large, dark shadow swooped close. How to cite Night Creature: Dark Moon Chapter Sixteen, Essay examples

Slavery And The American Bigot Essay Research free essay sample

Bondage And The American Bigot Essay, Research Paper Bondage and the American Bigot We Americans are interesting people and we have an interesting history. Slavery is portion of that history. From clip to clip we bury merely how much of portion bondage plays in our history. I was reminded of that one time once more by the intelligence narrative on the household reunion of the Thomas Jefferson household. The household of Thomas Jefferson has both white subdivisions and black subdivisions. Thomas Jefferson looms big in the history of our state. The wit comes non from the fact that his dead persons are feuding. Who of us wear? Ts have household feuds? The wit comes from the attitudes adopted by the two different subdivisions of this same household. Sadly one of the subdivisions has a bigoted point of position. To me a bigot is merely a individual who says there is one and merely one manner to look at a thing. We will write a custom essay sample on Slavery And The American Bigot Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Actually the bigot says a spot more than that. They say there is merely one right manner of looking at a thing. What makes that narrow is the word one. What makes it bigoted is the word right. Of class the spiritual bigot would state there is merely one reverent manner of looking at a thing or an issue. The job with looking at a thing or an issue from one individual point of position is that by so making merely the simplest of things can be understood. Most things and most issues are non simple. Imagine looking at a three dimensional object from a individual point of position. If we look at the forepart of our house we can non see the dorsum of it with out altering our point of position. In fact if we merely see our house that manner we do non even recognize that there is a back pace. To us from this point of position the back pace does non be. Objects and life? s jobs are excessively complex to be grasped from a individual point of position. To curtail yourself to a individual point of position day of reckonings you to a deficiency of understanding. To inquire others to portion this individual minded position is to do dogmatism. Understanding Thomas Jefferson? s household tree can outdo be accomplished by admiting Sally Hemming.

Islam The Straight Path Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Islam The Straight Path Essay, Research Paper Islam The Straight Path An rating of the book by John L. Esposito: Islam The Straight Path. In this book, Esposito provides a compendious, up-to-date study of the Islamic experience, an debut to the religion, belief, and pattern of Islam from its beginnings to its modern-day revival. He traces the outgrowth and development of this dynamic religion and its impact on universe history and political relations. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and pattern ( jurisprudence, divinity, doctrine, and mysticism ) , chronicling the battle of Muslims to specify and adhere to their Islamic manner of life. Equally of import is the indispensable information Esposito provides on the modern-day universe of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernisation to the reaffirmation of Islam in political relations and society. This introductory book in the instruction of Islam and Islamic manner of life by Esposito can be categorized in three different subdivisions with assorted sub-tittles. We will write a custom essay sample on Islam The Straight Path Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page First subdivision dressed ores on structural elements of Islam that includes Messenger and the Message ; that are Muhammad and the Holy Koran. Second subdivision is about The outgrowth of Islamic individuality, as the Muslim Community, which includes the belief and the pattern of the faith. And eventually the modern Interpretations of Islam. Esposito introduces three constructs ; in the first three chapters he explains what Islam is. I believe that he did an first-class occupation in showing pre-Islamic clip for Arabia and its encompassing part. But I besides believe that concentrating on Muhammad # 8217 ; s ( PBUH ) life has small relevant to Islam. Because Islam is based chiefly on the completion message of God to the World. I believe if a non-Muslim reader attempt were to understand Islam through this book he or she would compare it to the construct of Jesus, or David the Texan cult leader, and many others. I found that Esposito guides its readers to a clear apprehension of Muslims and non-Muslim prospective. However, he is a manager of centre for Muslim-Christian apprehension. Esposito has emphasized on the sanctum Quran, Gods message and the courier. I besides believe that he has introduced a clear guideline for Muslims and their pattern. Puting out their Torahs, beliefs, attitudes, values, and other spiritual duties. I besides found that Esposito writes with good academic purposes and composing on Islam from a western position. Esposito describes the worlds of the Muslim universe in their battle to specify their societal, political, and economical individuality. Although, he points that many of these aspirations are kept short due to miss of strong and faithful governments in the Muslim universe. As Esposito, introduces the religion, belief, and the pattern of Islam from pre-historic times one can clearly see the spiritual events and the battle of a faith through clip. As on page 31, Esposito says, # 8221 ; Muslims throughout the centuries, the message of the Koran and the illustrations of the Prophet # 8221 ; are the indispensable edifice axis of Muslim life. He besides e mphasizes on the importance of Islam history and civilisation, because he believes that they are the † record of that battle to construe and to follow the Straight Path.† ( Esposito 31:1998 ) Esposito besides, introduces the thought of Modernism, that Islamic times have non merely merely brought faith entirely but besides economic and military adversities to the West, as he puts it, # 8220 ; dispute to western engineering # 8221 ; . The impact of western imperialism has besides impacted the Islamic universe. As the book evolves, he talks about Modern states ; secular, Muslim and Islamic. Giving illustrations, such as Turkey being in the layman sector, Iran as the Islamic, and eventually the Muslim sector of modern states including Jordan and Egypt. Coming to an terminal at the Muslims of Western Europe, the presence of Muslims in Europe is non a new force, but a coevals of besieging and conquer. Over the old ages Ottomans and other missionaries have put forward their thought of Islam in many parts of Europe, including Bosnia and Romania. The Importance of Understanding Muslims and Islam: Moslems and Islam are two related footings, at the same clip different in its application. Let us first talk about the importance of understanding the term Muslims. Moslems are people who belong to the faith Islam. Muslims could move in assorted ways, showing their actions otherwise, a Muslim from India or South Africa. Another good illustration of a Muslim position would be, the public presentation of their political and sect actions. For illustration, Saidi Qutb of Egypt believed the West is corrupt in their actions and he has different position of the West. The other illustration would be Saudi Arabia # 8217 ; s credence of United States Forces to set down in the holy topographic point of Islam and welcoming the West. Our 2nd inquiry trades with the apprehension of Islam. The message that this faith brings to the universe is of import to understand that Islam claims the holy message of God, a force that has brought a completion to the Hagiographas of the three sanctum books of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Islam is a faith that has brought peace, enlightenment, and integrity to the faithful. I feel that this book could steer Muslims and non-Muslims in organizing clear positions on specific Islamic spiritual issues. In decision, throughout the book # 8220 ; Islam the Straight Path # 8221 ; , many apprehensions come about by looking at the many battles of any peculiar community. For the intent of this book reappraisal, I went through the book to hold on an apprehension of the rubric # 8220 ; The Straight Path # 8221 ; . For many centuries Muslims around the universe have experienced the transmutation of their society. The of import forces that build Islam and Muslims together are the spiritual life, religion, beliefs and patterns. Today Muslims around the universe face many challenges of leaders that build the community whether it is a secular or an Muslim state. As illustrations given earlier about modernisation which includes states such as Turkey and on the other side of the spectrum the pattern of Islamic Shariah. As a concluding note, my chief aim from this book reappraisal is to see Islam from the oculus of Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.

Gun Crazy essays

Gun Crazy essays Many directors use artistic noirish traits that create great film noirs. Gun Crazy, directed by Joseph H. Lewis displays noirish traits through his unique lighting, camera angles, setting, performance, musical scoring, and other formal aspects. Gun crazy is a key film noir but it is a romantic tale of a mad love that defies rationale explanation. The movie opens with the main character (Bart) at about age 12. He is standing in front of a gun shop marked gloomily by the rain and night. Lewis is foreshadowing the end of the boys demise through the gloomy setting. In the background, there is a blinking light which suggest there is going to be a problem. The boy throws a rock through the window to steal a gun, and to his surprise he turns around and the sheriff is staring him in the face. The boy is in court and he is off to the side next to a blank window, lonely and isolated. Different people are testifying that the boy is a good person. One particular scene that is key to the movie shows the boy and his friends hunting they tell Bart to shoot a Mountain Lion because he is the best shot. Bart tells them no so his friend shoots at the Mountain Lion. The camera angle goes to the boy, but Barts hand is in the foreground as well. When the boy shoots, Barts hand clenches displaying Barts sorrow for the animal. Lewis uses the whole frame to constantly give us information about the characters and the situations. This camera shot is important because later in the movie when Bart is a man the same camera shot is taken while his wife threatens to leave him because he wont shoot people. Lewis captures two things at once with one camera angle. Lewis isolates Bart while he is getting scolded by the judge. He has just his ear in the frame listening to words that send him to reform school. The sound goes to echoing and out of focus and the audience fells Barts isolation. Toward the end of the movie Bart and L...

See the Best Architecture in Spain

See the Best Architecture in Spain Think of architecture in Spain and Antoni Gaudà ­ comes to mind. Gaudi may be the most famous Spanish architect dead or alive, but dont forget Santiago Calatrava, designer of the Transportation Hub in Lower Manhattan and his signature bridges in Seville and Dallas, Texas. And what about the Pritzker Laureate, Josà © Rafael Moneo? Oh, and then there was the Roman Empire in Spain. Architecture in Spain is an exotic mix of early Moorish influences, European trends, and surreal modernism. These selected sites link to resources that will help you plan your architecture tour through Spain. Visiting Barcelona This northeast coastal city, capital of the Catalonia region, has become synonymous with Antoni Gaudà ­. You cant miss his architecture, or the new modern buildings going up every year. La Sagrada Familia, the great unfinished cathedral begun by Gaudi in 1882, and La Sagrada Familia school, for the children of the construction workersCasa Vicens, Gaudis Gothic/Moorish house designed for a Spanish businessmanGuell Palace and Guell Park, Gaudi commissions from patron Eusebi Gà ¼ellColegio Teresiano, one of Antoni Gaudà ­s first commissionsCasa Calvet, a rather traditional design for GaudiGaudi-designed wall around Finca Miralles, as wavy and abstract as Frank Gehrys workCasa Batllà ³, a very colorful remodeling job by Gaudi, is located in Illa de la Discordia or the Block of Discord. This street displays the architecture of Catalan architects Josep Puig (1867-1956), Lluà ­s Domà ¨nech i Montaner (1850-1923), and Gaudi (1852-1926).Gaudis La Pedrera, one of the most famous apartment buildings in the worldMontjuic Communications Tower, design by Spanish-born Santiago Calatrava for the 1992 Summer OlympicsAgbar Tower, French architect Jean Nouvel transformed Gaudis c atenary curve Barcelona Cathedral, the citys Gothic cathedralThe Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and Palau de la Mà ºsica Catalana, both UNESCO world heritage sites, are designs of the art nouveau architect Lluà ­s Domà ¨nech i MontanerHotel Porta Fira, a 2010 hotel designed by Pritzker Laureate Toyo ItoThe Forum Building (Edificio Fà ³rum) designed by Herzog and de Meuron Visiting the Bilbao Area Guggenheim Bilbao, the 1997 museum that made American architect Frank Gehry very famousMetro Station Entrance Enclosure, Fosterito, a 1995 high-tech train station by English architect Norman Foster If youre visiting Bilbao, take a side trip to Comillas, 90 miles west. Everything youve ever heard about Gaudi architecture may be found in the surreal summer home El Capricho. Visiting the Leà ³n Area The city of Leà ³n is roughly between Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela, in the vast Castilla y Leà ³n region of northern Spain. Casa Botines, one of only three projects Antoni Gaudà ­ built outside Catalonia, is a large, neo-Gothic apartment building.San Miguel de Escalada, a magical medieval monastary from the 9th century, a short drive from Leà ³n near the famous pilgrimage route, Way of St. James. If youre traveling from Leà ³n southeast to Madrid, stop by the Church of San Juan Bautista, Baà ±os de Cerrato near the city of Palencia. Well-reserved from 661 AD, the church is a fine example of what is called Visigothic architecture- an era when nomadic tribes dominated the Iberian peninsula. Closer to Madrid is Salamanca. The Old City of Salamanca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rich in historic architecture, UNESCO sites its importance in Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance, and Baroque monuments. If youre headed north from Leà ³n, the ancient capital city of Oviedo is home to many early Christian churches. These Pre-Romanesque Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias from the 9th century are UNESCO World Heritage sites, along with La Foncalada, a public water supply, an early example of civil engineering. Visiting Santiago de Compostela City of Culture of Galicia, an ongoing project headed by Peter EisenmanCathedral of Santiago de Compostela, a pilgrims destination at the end of the Way of St. James Visiting Valencia City of Arts and Sciences, a complex of educational buildings by Santiago Calatrava Visiting the Madrid Area The Monastery at El Escorial, in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 35 miles northwest of Madrid, is a UNESCO world heritage site for its historic association with royaltyCaixaForum, a Madrid museum by Swiss architects Herzog and de MeuronRoman aqueduct, 50 AD, in Segovia, northwest of Madrid Visiting the Seville Area Alcazar PalaceAlamillo Bridge Cà ³rdoba, about 90 miles northeast of Seville, is site to the Great Mosque of Cordoba in the Historic Centre of Cordoba, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Mosque/Cathedral is an architectural hybrid, claims UNESCO, that joins together many of the artistic values of East and West and includes elements hitherto unheard-of in Islamic religious architecture, including the use of double arches to support the roof. Visiting Granada Ornamentation at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Sean Gallup/Getty Images (cropped) Travel east of Seville a mere 150 miles to experience the Alhambra Palace, a tourists destination not to be missed. Our Cruise expert has been to Alhambra Palace and our Spain Travel expert has been to The Alhambra in Granada. In Spanish language, visit La Alhambra, Granada. It seems that everyone has been there! Visiting Zaragoza About 200 miles west of Barcelona, youll find a pedestrian bridge over the Ebro River designed in 2008 by Pritzker Laureate Zaha Hadid. This modern bridge stands in stark contrast with the historic architecture of this ancient city.

The Ways in Which Strategy Implementation Can Be Achieved Assignment - 2

The Ways in Which Strategy Implementation Can Be Achieved - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that strategic planning for the medium and long-term objectives of a company is a key way to achieve the overall goals of an organization. Medium term strategies aim to provide long-term solutions to the problems of an organization, while long-term strategies aim to provide permanent solutions to the problems. There are five types of market entry strategies that can be used by organizations namely organic growth, mergers or acquisitions, franchising, licensing and strategic alliances. Acquisitions are likely to occur when an organization wants to increase its market share in any new market. Mergers are more likely to occur when companies have comparable financial capital and resources. Franchising is more likely to occur when a particular organization wants to create a positive brand image in the minds of the consumers by providing them with the products and services of the company. Licensing is more likely to occur when an organization wan ts to enter a country in a quick manner to deal with legal issues relating to trade barriers. Organic entry is a form of entry where the profits from the existing business are used to channel growth into new activities. Substantive growth strategies are related to vertical and horizontal integration. Vertical integration is related to increasing the ownership of the value chain to take better control over marketing operations. Horizontal integration is, on the other hand, related to the collaboration between two similar companies which belongs to the same stage of production. This type of an arrangement helps in closing down of less efficient units by taking advantage of economies of scale.The limited growth strategy has four major components namely market penetration, product development, market development, and innovation.

Google's e-library Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Google's e-library - Essay Example There are four factors to scanning or copying books according to the fair use principle. Fair use is the most significant limitation on the copyright holders exclusive rights (United States Copyright Office, 2010, para. 1). â€Å"The four factors are: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion used and the effect to the use on the potential market Value of the Work (Hanratty, 2005).† The first factor is about the purpose of copying commercial or educational purpose. Google says that it is not making profit from scanning; therefore, it is not commercial making profit by advertising. "Google also gave a copy to the library and allows authors to chose if they want their books scanned or not. For example Google also has this option policy where by the copyright holder can select not to get his/her book digitized" (Prasad and Agarwala. 2008.258). In order not to cause any effect or harm in commercial benefit therefore Google project will provide snippets only Moreover, Google will share the digitals copies for all libraries. Merely "coping a book into a digital format would not be deemed transformative because all that Google is changing in the medium print to digital see Kirkwood, 150 F.3d at 108, n.2." The law states that whether the use is for non-profitable or commercial nature, this analysis should be taken into consideration. In circumstances where the analysis is for business purposes, presumption deliberates in contradiction to fair use. Practically, the court has found that commerciality is of no significant use to determine fair use. This can be attributed to the commercialization of secondary sources of copyright materials inclusive of the legal preamble. The root of this inquiry is to note whether the users profit by exploiting the copyrighted material devoid of customary price payment. The offset of the commercial

Beauty Essay Example for Free

Beauty Essay Beauty is something that can be interpreted completely different from person to person. A famous quote that goes along with this perfectly is â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder. † I think a person’s inner beauty should be taken into account when deciding whether or not a person is beautiful. Wikipedia’s definition of beauty is, â€Å"a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction† while Oxford Dictionary states, â€Å"beauty is a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially sight. As you can see, inner beauty could be paired with Wiki’s definition and outer beauty could be paired with Oxfords. Of course, there is no way of telling which definition is more correct, but, for the majority of today’s society, outer beauty seems to be the primary focus. One example that proves just how important outer beauty is to society is the rise in beauty products and services that are around today. Surely, once the 21st century initiated, appearance definitely began to play a much bigger part in people’s lives. Interests in salons and day spas were rising generously, and surely, business was not hard to find. More than likely, most salons’ appointment books were filled, nail salon chairs were occupied, and an increase sales in beauty products all hit businesses with full force. Another illustration of our appearance obsessed society is seen in the surrounding woman and men. For instance, there are many events, even on a global scale, that support this shallow idea of exterior perfection, such as Beauty pageants; Miss America and Miss Universe are two of too many examples. These events are taken very seriously by a vast number of contestants who alter their body surgically, wear dentures, and add an, no doubt, unnatural amount of makeup and hair extensions. Furthermore, even more popular, exists pageants for young children with contestants of ages as low as a few months. With toddlers and infants being at their most influenced, getting done up in caked on make-up, eyelashes, spray tan, and fake teeth just isn’t something we should be backing. As you can see, it is time for people to focus more on things such as a person’s morality, personality, values, and intelligence rather than always infatuated with exterior. The main reason the word beauty has been used to describe external features rather than internal ones, so much more in the recent years, is the media. The media has evolved into something extremely influential, and the most clear message people recive from this, is what they are supposed to look like. For instance, magazines often create young girls who believe that thin as paper models seen in any magazine are what they are supposed to look like. Also, another component adding to the superficial terms people have are the celebrities that we idolize who are coached to not have even one single hair out of place; all those celebrity’s with perfect skin, hair, and body have been accomplices in the media’s outrageous spread shallow opinions. The outcome of the media’s bar being set so high is people all around doing whatever necessary to preserve their physical appearance regardless of the effect it has on their health or bank accounts. Everyone would be a lot happier if they drew their attention to the internal characteristics of a person, rather than all of the smoke and mirrors that is displayed on the surface. For example, someone who is the most kind-hearted, level headed, and selfless person could go through her whole life not having the opportunity to show others due to her presentation of a had exterior. Of course, although it can be hard for some, it’s never right to reject someone all because they don’t meet the unspoken of standards that most have set for themselves as well as the others. Helen Keller once said, â€Å"Beauty is not always seen but is felt in the heart. Helen was someone who was dealt a horrific hand yet still noticed and embraced the beauty in all of her experiences. To sum up, most of society goes without noticing, or simply doesn’t care, about any beauty that reaches deeper than the surface, which is very unfortunate. Many people become sick, depressed and some even die as a result of the pressure media and those greatly influenced by it puts on them. This world could be so much better, relationships could be so much stronger, and those who deserve it would be so much happier if the word â€Å"beauty† was interpreted as something deeper by the masses; one can only hope.

Music Essay -- essays research papers

The beauty of music is found in every soul† were the words of my grandmother. She always managed to bring music into every aspect of her life; whether it was ordinary housework or religious functions, she was ready to sing at any time. Her music was not the only part of her life; she was also the mother of six children and the wife of a prominent farmer. Although her life was complicated and, at many times, unbearable, music was never forsaken; it was one of her treasures. Through her and her treasure I realized what life and death really are. Her perseverance through her problems and her patience with her children and grandchildren has always amazed me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During elementary school, I remember a period of time when my grandmother stayed over our apartment. Although it was uncomfortable for a few weeks, I loved to hear her stories, especially the ones that were songs. It was fascinating because her songs would reflect her experiences, and goals in life; for example, one of her stories was about village women washing their clothes at the river in India. All through my childhood, I listened to her exciting stories, and, even confronted her with questions that made her laugh throughout the night. At that moment her laughter and smile were captured in my heart forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I grew older, my relationship with my grandmother became less of a priority. Instead I began to forget about my family and became more concerned with fr...

Union group

Organizational Development (HARMER) and hence we are submitting it to you on due date and time. Hopefully, this report will meet your requirements and expectations. Should there be any queries, we are ready to clarify. Thank you for your concern. Yours Sincerely, On behalf of my Group, Karakul Hosing ID: 2011-2-10-343 Acknowledgement 1 OFF health to complete this report. Then we would like to thank our course instructor Sardinia Islam Khan, PhD for his relentless support, advice and guidance throughout the entire preparation of this assignment.The development of this term paper took several weeks and the contribution of many people. Without the support and help of our group members, we would have not been able to complete this study. Special thanks should be given to Mr.. Shabbier Susan from Union Group, who was our main source of information. We also would like to thank our family members for their support and understanding throughout the course of the completion of this assignment. They have always been there to help us and were the force that pushed us to go on.Executive Summary There are cultural differences in each organization. Culture differences make the organization exclusive. In this report we selected Union Group for our implementation of study. The main purpose of our report is diagnosed the union group and find out the problems they currently facing. After aware of the problem we analyze the way they can eradicate the problems. We tried to recommend some change that union group can implement to cope with their problem. In this research report we used diagnosis model like six box model and action research model.As it is a study which basically both exploratory and conclusive in nature. This study based primarily on secondary information. We made some question and ask the question to union group representative. Based on his answers and extensive search on internet we prepared our report. When we made the report we faced some DO (Organizational Develo pment) theories such as Backhand's theories, Burke's theories, Fresh's theories etc. For diagnosis we used Marvin Washboard's Six-box model. This six-box model tells practitioners where to look and what to look for our diagnosing organizational problems.In this six-box model there are six critical areas that is purposes, structure, rewards, helpful mechanisms, relationships and leadership. We use this model as a cognitive map, systematically examining. And the action research model is a roommate model for learning, or model for planned change. We choose some best question from our interviewed person and we deeply diagnosis the questions and analyze our findings. From the Organizational Diagnosis questions and answers in the former section, we conducted the preliminary diagnosis to find out the problems and possible ventures to enter for Union Group.Based on the answers received we used the Six Box Model as a diagnosis tool and Action Research Model. We made our recommendation based on Operas and Robertson model of organizational change. Chapter 1: Introduction Every organization is different from each other. One's culture does not match with other. An organization has its own structure, value, norms. The report is based on the various DO interventions and the panel interview. The name of the report is â€Å"DO interventions for Union Group of Companies Ltd†. So in our introduction we include topic, objective, methodology, scope and limitation.Below all the things are described. 1. 1 Background of the Study Successful human resource department makes it possible for the organization to acquire the number and types of people necessary to ensure the continued operation of the organization by practicing the HARM practices. Therefore, it acts as an important role in HER department. As a part of ABA program, our Human Resource Management course teacher Dry. Sardinia Islam Khan assigned us to prepare a report on â€Å"DO interventions for Union Group of Compan ies Ltd† as a related topic on Organization Development under the course Human Resource Management.The COOT of Union Group Ltd. , Shabbier Susan came to our class, gave a presentation and there was a panel interview that was also held. We asked him questions for required information in Union Group of Companies Ltd and he gave answers which helped to prepare the survey. 1. 2 Objective of the Study takes is organizational diagnosis. Organizational diagnosis can be considered as a special branch of organizational research leading to a set of statements about design options and recommendations for change.Primary objectives are the report aims to provide information on the HARM practices followed by a company named Union Group of Companies Ltd through HER department. Secondary Objectives: The report is strongly informed with how this company intervene HARM in their respective companies and how it helps them to get objective, reliable and relevant information. We will be able to kno w completely about the basic of a group of many. The process or the main HARM practices a group of company uses to make their place in the market will also be known to us by preparing this report.Most importantly, we will be able to understand the HARM practices properly. 1. 3 Scope of the Study There is a certain boundary to cover this report. Our particular report only covers the DO interventions for Union Group of Companies Ltd. We mainly focus on the main HARM practices of this company. We tried to gather information from Union Group's website. As the COOT of Union Group of Companies Ltd came in our University, we alike with him and collected information about the DO interventions of the company through sharing his experience.We have also gathered information through internet. 1. 4 Limitation of the Study There was a shortage of information because our guest Speaker didn't share everything about their organization. The COOT, Shabbier Susan gave a presentation in our class and th e answers of our questions were almost the only source of collecting data. The COOT, Shabbier Susan gave a presentation in our class and the answers of our questions were almost the only source of collecting data. 1. Company Profile With a huge workforce United group prides itself of its diversified conglomerate character.It ranges from Retail, Mobile phones, Textiles, Dyeing, Real Estate, Power & Energy, Tours and Travels and hospitality industry. The philosophy of the group is to nurture and promote good ideas and growth; to provide satisfaction to customers; to innovate and go beyond accepted standards of doing business. At GIG, we thrive in an extreme competing environment where challenge and hard work is rewarded. The strength of GU is in its core management principals. GU plans ahead with experienced foresightedness, strive to bring the planning into reality and in the process learn from its achievements and mistakes.It has grown gradually, excelling year by year. Over the yea rs, through its unified endeavor, it has been successful in slogan-?delivering the Best. And to fulfill the idea of delivering the best is has policies and procedures in place so that everyone knows what to do and how to perform to the best to their abilities. Chapter 2: Literature review 2. 1 DO THEORIES DO (Organizational Development) theories are define by different point of view by different scientist like: Backhand's theories

Panera Bread Business Strategies Essay

â€Å"Thirty years ago, Ron Shaich set out to change the world by changing the way America eats. He’s done that with not one, but two successful restaurant brands. By co-founding Au Bon Pain, Co. Inc. and founding Pan-era Bread, Shaich shook up the industry by offering an antithesis to fast food – hand made, artisan food served in warm and welcoming environments by people you can trust. †(KANAI, 2012) This quote describes how Shaich and colleagues started to create their cafe bakery and change the way Americans eat. Pan-era was the first to come out with the calories on the menu board to ensure that Americans were aware of how healthy Pan-era was and the intention to re maim forthcoming about what was in the food we eat. Shaich and his colleagues did not follow the six step process they focused on the four areas food, setting, customers, and the workforce which made sense for capitalism. Shaich also thrived to make sure the customers and employees were well taken care of because they also played a big role in the success of Pan-era and lets not forget to acknowledge the community and their involvement in the success. Conscious Capitalism is an expression of how Shaich has found success in the restaurant industry if the whole society and corporate society would think of themselves as a corporation things would be better for everyone. Shaich is able to offer a word of advice if you were to get involved with conscious capitalism â€Å"Believe in yourself and why you got into it. Believe in those things that attracted you to the industry which makes a big difference in the lives of our guests. (ROMEO, 2012) For many years Pan-era has focused on the principal of conscious capitalism or what they like to call â€Å" enlightened -self interest† in two ways by delivering value to customers, vendors , employees, investors, and the community and to focus on a higher purpose above and beyond short term results. Meaning providing our customers with the artisan bread , delicious and nutritional food on a daily basis. Then Shaich and all his colleagues wanted to know how to challenge conscious capitalism and they figured out somethings that they are already doing like donating the day old bread to homeless.

English I Pt. 1 (Exam 3) Essay Example

English I Pt. 1 (Exam 3) Essay Example English I Pt. 1 (Exam 3) Paper English I Pt. 1 (Exam 3) Paper Essay Topic: Literature In The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, Jim sells his pocket watch to buy combs for Della, while Della sells her hair to buy Jim a chain for his pocket watch. This is an example of what literary element? irony People who dont know Harry tend to underestimate him. They cast a skeptical eye on his typical outfit: ragged jeans and shirts that bear evidence of his most recent meal. And his most frequently uttered expression, Waaaal, I just dont know, can make him sound less than bright. So, some enter a negotiating session with Harry relaxed and confident that their side will prevail and that Harry will gain no concessions for his group. That assumption is one that Harry cultivates, and it is a big, big mistake. indirect characterization In The Scarlet Ibis, why does the narrator rename his little brother Doodle? The little boy crawls backward like a doodle-bug. People who dont know Harry tend to underestimate him. They cast a skeptical eye on his typical outfit: ragged jeans and shirts that bear evidence of his most recent meal. And his most frequently uttered expression, Waaaal, I just dont know, can make him sound less than bright. So, some enter a negotiating session with Harry relaxed and confident that their side will prevail and that Harry will gain no concessions for his group. That assumption is one that Harry cultivates, and it is a big, big mistake. It Is NOT explanations and descriptions of the central problem Which of the following is the setting for The Invalids Story? a train from Cleveland to Wisconsin How would a character who is experiencing internal conflict feel? confused Who is Teofilo in The Man to Send Rain Clouds? an old Pueblo Indian who has died before the story opens If the main character in a story struggles against the subzero cold of the Arctic, what kind of conflict is taking place? external Which city is the setting for The Necklace? Paris Who is the invalid referred to in the storys title, The Invalids Story? the narrator In the story Old Man of the Temple by R. K. Narayan, what experience does the narrator have in the Taxi on his way to Kumbum? His driver becomes possessed by the spirit of an old man at the temple. At the beginning of the story, The Necklace, what is the cause of Madame Loisels constant unhappiness? her desire to be wealthy Which of the following most accurately identifies the usual length of a short story? It Is NOT 200 to 1,000 words Based on the introductory line from The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy, what is the point of view of this story? First Person Limited Two men glare at each other. Then, a tree falls and pins them both to the ground. What kind of conflict exists in both situations? external To which category of literature do short stories belong? fiction What is the setting of The Man to Send Rain Clouds? New Mexico In The Scarlet Ibis, what prompts the narrator to show Doodle the coffin? He has a cruel streak that surfaces occasionally. From The Invalids Story, what was causing the foul odor in the train car that caused the narrator and Thompson to flee into the cold? It Is NOT The narrators dead friend in the coffin From The Man To Send Rain Clouds by Leslie Marmon Silko, what do we learn about Leon and his family during the burial process for Teofilo? It Is NOT They allowed the priest to perform a Christian burial as a courtesy, but they were not Christians.

#1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

#1 - Essay Example On the other hand labor relations is the dealings between management and the workers with respect to the employment conditions. â€Å"Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations is thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces† (Labor Relations, 2009) In most of the times the interests of the organizations and that of the labors would be opposite in direction. The management always keen in maximizing their profit and for that purpose they will compromise the interests of the workers. On the other hand labor unions are always working for the wellbeing of the workers and they are not much concerned about the profit of the organization. For workers what they are getting is more important than what the organization is achieving. Both these interests contradict at times which will end up in strained labor relationships and trade union strikes. In a changing world, especially under globalization and liberalization, a well maintained labor relationship is important for an organization in order to compete in the market. Customers will trust an organization if their product or service supply doesn’t interrupt. Poor labor relationship always results in labor union strikes which will interrupt the production of goods or service. A temporary suspension of service or supply of goods in the market will force the customers to search for other options. Once the customers move away from the organization, it is difficult for the organization to bring them back. Labor problems destroy the image of the organization in the society in which it operates. The public will often take the side of the labors even if the justice is on the other side because of the false assumption that the management always trying to exploit the workers. This public

Richard Branson and the Virgin Group Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Richard Branson and the Virgin Group - Coursework Example The group’s activities span such disparate lines of business as music, airlines, rail transport, movie industry, financial services, telecommunications, soft drinks, space travel, tourism, health services and much more. As can be expected, some of the ventures did not live up to the expectations, inviting criticism of the limits to which a brand’s power can be stretched by reckless and unrelated diversification. At the same time, the unique leadership that Branson provides with commonsense approach, changing corporate and functional strategies continuously, laying focus on corporate governance, customer satisfaction and employee-motivation belie the flamboyant extrovert who exploits every opportunity to enhance Virgin’s brand power for success of the various ventures under its umbrella. The case study explores the story of an entrepreneur who dares to challenge established notions of limits of brand dilution, diversification into unrelated areas, value of commons ense in business, and informality in organizational/communication matters. Talking to the Forbes magazine on 1 February 1997, Branson said, â€Å"If you can run one company, you can run any company. You can learn the nuances of a particular industry in two months. And it is so great being in so many different businesses. That is the fun of it† (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). The last part is a give away (the fun and enjoyment of being in business) for the Branson persona. Occasional failure or short-on-performance does not dilute Branson’s vision for making Virgin as one of the world’s leading brands. Failures While the Virgin Record Company and related businesses were highly successful, Branson’s move into the highly competitive airlines industry and challenging the major established players with cheap travel plans was not so successful. In fact, in the early 1990s, Branson had to sell off his first love, the music company, in order to support the falter ing Virgin Atlantic Airways, which faced intense competition from the British Airways, the dominant player. Although Virgin Atlantic Airways started off well since its inception in 1984 and went public in 1986, the stock market crash of 1987 led to crash of its share prices forcing Branson to buy back the public stock and turn it into a private firm once again (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). The Virgin Group’s cable company NTL planned acquisition of a stake in the media and entertainment business which was dominated by Rupert Murdoch, by acquiring nearly 20% stake in the company ITV (Barr, 2006; Clothier, CNN, 2006). These plans were thwarted by Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB, who outbid NTL. This episode exposed Branson’s inability to accept defeat in grace. Another criticism of the Virgin Group has been its inability to fully integrate local cultural nuances into its management policies and branded products. In order to overcome this situation, Branson brought in a w ell-known marketing specialist Ashley Stockwell, as Virgin’s Brand Marketing Director (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). Branson’s foray into the movie industry with the acquisition of MGM in 1995 was again a failure, which he readily accepted and described it as a premature decision (Anon., n.d., coursework.info). Reasons for success Branson’

Causes of Vietnam War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Causes of Vietnam War - Research Paper Example The aforementioned events included the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Berlin Blockade  from 1948 to 1949, the  Korean War that lasted for more than three years, the  Berlin Crisis in the year 1961, the  Vietnam War that continued for almost twenty five years, the  Cuban Missile Crisis, the invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet forces  (1979–1989), and the  Able Archer  NATO exercises in November 1983† (Major Events of the Cold War n.d.)3. In the early 10th Century A.D, during the Tang Dynasty in ancient China, the dynasty’s economy and military’s gradient started to fall and over the time it weakened to such an extent that the Vietnamese population of the Red River Delta, an area invaded by the Chinese back in 100 BC, rebelled against their Chinese rulers and set up a traditional, native dynasty in the northern conurbation of Hanoi. Later in 1462, the emperor Le Loi got rid of all the remaining Chinese warlords in the region. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Mekong River delta got populated as the aforementioned Vietnamese population moved southwards. ... ld, as it was â€Å"close to the South China Sea and countries such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and southern China† (Meehan n.d.)4. Taking advantage of the vital geographically strategic position of Vietnam, the Portuguese made their entry into the country in the 16th century, followed by the French and the Dutch, however, after continuous fights over power and control, the French established Vietnam as their colony and gained control of the country. The French ruled Vietnam from the year 1887 to 1954. Vietnam was considered a major addition to the French Indochina Empire, however, the sixty seven year old rule of the French over Vietnam was considered as one of the harshest and the crudest times in the history. The French governance dripped of nepotism, discrimination – of all sorts and Vietnam was considered as a personal golden egg laying hen for the French, which was exploited for personal gains and benefits but was not paid back and credited, what it deserved. The production and sale of alcohol and salt was put under the statutory control of the government, which meant that it could not be sold or produced privately. This resulted in an economic outrage amongst the trader fraternity, which continued for years. Rice was exported from the French-owned plantations only, while many Vietnamese locals did not have enough to eat. The French imposed strict sanctions on the labor as well. The labor rights were violated and workers were imprisoned if they attempted at leaving their jobs. The majority of the laborers imprisoned were either mine workers or the ones who worked as farmers in the rubber plantations. Under the subject of economics, the government took no measures to control the inflation, yet multiplied the taxes. The

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 10

Business - Essay Example Hence, some members of the society have organized NGOs, non-profit, voluntary organizations which seek to promote social justice by protecting the right of human beings and by providing basic social services to them (Koehn, 2002). Since NGOs have a growing impact on the society, it is important to determine and assess their roles. This paper evaluates the role of NGOs in international development through different development theories and by studying specific cases. Ultimately, this paper aims to determine the extent to which society needs NGOs. Development is a complex process which experts attempted to explain through theories. Modernization theory is among those. This theory states that development should aim for economic growth, equity, democracy, political order and stability, and autonomy (Princeton University, 2006). When it comes to economic growth there is but very little, if not absolutely nothing, that NGOs can contribute. However, NGOs can play a huge role in the attainment of the other goals of modernization that Huntington proposed, especially when it comes to equity. People who unite to form NGOs can help in minimizing wealth inequality, which is often manifested by the lack of access by some individuals to basic social needs and services. NGOs may not be able to promote equity in the whole society but they can do so within smaller communities. An excellent example of this is the case of one Romanian NGO called the Association of Former Baragan Deportees of Timisoara, Romania. Under the leadership of Adam Balmez, the NGO united thousands of deportees who lobbied for reparations for their suffering caused by the cruelty of the communist regime. The NGO also helped in bringing to public the suffering that more than 40,000 people had endured because of communist brutality. The Association has not limited its actions into legally advancing the rights of deportees. It has also provided its members with basic social

Geriatric Health Conditions: Types, Causes and Support

Geriatric Health Conditions: Types, Causes and Support Name: Clare Josephine Montuya Student No: 12001442 Introduction Generally, as we are living in the area of progression, we forget to look back into the ones, who in their prime, have done their best to establish the growing community that we are today. We tend to forget that we age along just like them. From this sentiment alone, we should be able to return the favour by means of answering their needs in a holistic manner and at the same time educating future generations about any problems that may arise from present-day health care so they would innovate means to address them in the near future. Time after time, problems tend to arise not from the premise that people have pre-existing health-related problems but from needs that have been overlooked or unaddressed. This report aims to discuss existing knowledge on common geriatric conditions, support organizations as well as services provided to the present day geriatric population so that rest homes, particularly Kindly Residential Care Rest Home, would be able to meet or exceed the expectations of clients or residents. Task 1 Dementia Dementia is a progressive-degenerative disorder that widely affects the general geriatric populace. It is progressive in a sense that those affected by it tend to develop severe symptoms as they age and degenerative by nature because of degeneration of certain and/or parts of the brain, resulting into changes in cognition, emotion, behaviour and personality. Although this may be prevalent among the elderly, this does not mean that the young adult populace is exempted from such. In present-day society, young adults tend to develop symptoms sooner than they think and tend to disregard the possibility of developing dementia in the long run. A hallmark sign of dementia is forgetfulness or short term memory loss. People as early as in their twenties tend to forget the keys to their room, their mobile phones, their assignments, and all other day to day activities no matter how simple these tasks may seem. But memory loss alone is not enough to diagnose dementia. A person should be able to have memory loss accompanied by four or more of the following criteria: language disturbance, trouble carrying out motor activities, failure to recognize or identify objects and trouble with planning, organising things and making judgments (Perkins, 2013). The severity of dementia can be categorized into mild, moderate and severe. In mild dementia, one can still be independent in carrying out certain tasks though they may tend to have one or two symptoms of it. This is most prevalent in the young to middle adult stage. In moderate dementia, supervision may be required to be able to execute important tasks and most likely some of a few activities of daily living. In severe cases, full and extensive assistance and supervision is needed to carry out activities of daily living. Early Stages of Dementia Early symptoms of dementia may vary in progression depending on the type of dementia presented. Dementia may be categorized into the following: Alzheimer’s disease Short term memory loss is the most profound symptom of the disease. A good example of such would be losing or misplacing things, inability to concentrate or focus, inability to follow conversations, have trouble using the telephone since he or she would tend to forget phone numbers, inability to keep track of recent events at certain times and constantly ask questions for a time because he or she forgot the answer. Another symptom would be having trouble to plan, organize or carry out decisions. One could forget to pay the bills on time or even keep track of certain events in the office and the like. Poor sense of direction is another where one lost his or her way in a mall he or she has visited more than twice in a week. Emotional changes may happen as well, such as increased anxiety, embarrassment in social situations, anger or frustration, powerlessness, suspiciousness, boredom or worse depression. Vascular Dementia Due to any damage or obstruction in the blood vessels in the brain, certain parts of the brain are deprived of oxygen from insufficient blood supply, hence causing damage to certain lobes of the brain responsible for cognition and emotion. Although short-term memory loss is a common denominator for all types of dementia, another significance of this type is the earlier onset of the loss of executive skills. Considered to be an after effect of multiple stroke attacks, it causes a lot of frustration, most particularly the emotional aspect of a person’s well-being. They become overly emotional at most times. In the medical world, a person becomes labile. A person may tend to be furious over a small issue or even cry at something funny. Lewy body dementia Persons suffering from this type of dementia would usually display loss of concentration and impaired judgement. Short-term memory loss is usually present but at its earliest stages, it is way better compared to Alzheimer’s disease. Another unique symptom would be able to have visual hallucinations, which would eventually lead to fear and depression. Frontal lobe dementia The front lobe of the brain is mainly affected in this particular type of dementia due to insufficient blood supply. They may have some similarities with vascular dementia but in its earlier stages, people suffering from such type would initially experience personality changes such as being tactless or breach rules of social etiquette. They tend to have difficulty expressing their feelings and have a problem reciprocating the appropriate response or emotion. Worst case scenario, they express no concern for their surrounding environment. They tend to feel that they are purposeless, so they tend to slack off or feel powerless to do anything. As a result, hygiene would be a concern for them and would require assistance and supervision in carrying out certain tasks of daily living. Interventions Regardless of what type of dementia the person has, dementia in its early stages is not to be taken lightly. Awareness is the key so information on dementia should be disseminated especially to clients and their families who are directly affected by it. This also does not limit to direct family members of the client but also to other health care professionals involved in his or her care. Taking care of the financial and legal aspect in the earlier stages of dementia is one of the many important things to prepare before the client. Security of assets such as having joint accounts, or preparing last will and testament and making advance directives before the client reaches a severe stage of dementia. Another would be to develop a routine for them to do and make these tasks simpler than they used to be. In any case there is a certain routine that they stick to, never break their routine. Providing them references to different support groups and providing access to their services is the best intervention so they could achieve the quality of life they desired. Support Organizations Access to these support groups would be essential to the geriatric populace. Alzheimer’s New Zealand This organization aims to disseminate information and promote high standards of education for people with dementia, their caregivers, families and health professionals. The regional member organisations may offer all or some of the following services: Support through group â€Å"get-togethers† for the person diagnosed with dementia Support group meetings for carers and family members Home visits by member organisation staff or field workers Carer education programmes Volunteer services Day-care programmes Regular newsletters Library – books and audio resources (http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/world_report_2012_final.pdf ) Eldernet This support group provides options to clients as to how and where they want their care delivered. Either they need care delivered in a large community or in the comforts of their home, Eldernet is able to provide links to these services such as list of different residential care homes, rest homes, support services and retirement villages. National Dementia Cooperative The said support group has been created to facilitate sharing of information regarding support systems made available and share ideas to achieve the goals of the cooperative. Age concern Age Concern provides free and confidential Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services in many major cities and provincial areas throughout New Zealand. These services employ professional staff to work with older people and their carers, providing support and advocacy so that older people can be happy, healthy and safe. The services also raise awareness of elder abuse by providing education for aged care workers, community groups, families and anyone with an interest in the wellbeing of older people. There are also other providers of Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services. (http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/ACNZPublic/Services/EANP/ACNZ_Public/Elder_Abuse_and_Neglect.aspx?hkey=df8b9042-ce1e-4d3a-9fe5-861fc17d2ecf) New Zealand Aged Care Association New Zealand Aged Care Association (NZACA), is a not-for-profit, national membership organisation which represents all parts of the aged care residential sector. Our members provide long and short term residential services to the over 65 cohort. Services include: Long term residential care Rest home care Hospital care Dementia care Psychogeriatric care Short term residential care Respite care Carer support care ACC care Non-weight bearing care Services Residential care This type of service is ideal for clients whose family wishes them to stay for a long period of time. People entering into residential care would normally experience separation anxiety and would be difficult for the staff to establish rapport. As much as possible, an initial assessment for the first 48 hours is made and the staff should be able to gather enough information as to the routine care that they will be able to include in their care. After enough background history or information is gathered, a profile is made as basis for the plan of care. The care plan is then discussed with the family and must be reviewed or updated every six months or when significant changes have taken place. Regular meetings with the family are held every now and then to promote collaboration in the care of the patient. Activities cannot be only limited to the confines of the facility but outings are encouraged as well. A walk in the park, spending the afternoon in a familiar coffee shop or any recrea tional activity that keeps them company. But when it comes down to having outpatient visits to the doctor, a family member must accompany them as they know the history of the patient well than any other caregiver. In any case they wish to have services such as a reflex massage on the foot, or a manicure or pedicure, or hairdresser, these services can be brought from the nearest parlour to their very doorstep. But when dementia gets severe enough that the facility can’t handle, these clients will then be endorsed or sent to a higher level of care facility such as the hospital. End of Life Support Palliative care is an essential care pathway when clients reach their terminal stage in life. This not only applies to the physical aspect but also the emotional, cultural and spiritual well-being as well. Advance directives are made in advance while the client’s cognition is still intact and involve the family as well in the decision-making. Heaps of issues tend to arise from this as well, affecting the delivery of care to clients. One would be medical issues, such as addressing clients with terminal stage illnesses like pneumonia, cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetic ketoacidosis, stroke and more chronic diseases. We should also consider the hydration status and nutrition of each of the clients to ensure that they keep up with their nutritional needs. Another issue to address is euthanasia or â€Å"Death by Dignity†, an ethical issue that is still debatable to this day. According to Perkins, a system called Liverpool Care Pathway was developed to ensure the best p ossible end-of-life care delivered to the individual in the last few days of his or her life (Perkins, 2013). In the care of the terminally ill in the home setting, a private duty nurse can be arranged to assist the family in taking care of the client. Hospices Though this may be similar to end of life support, these facilities specialize in taking care of demented clients with diseases such as cancer or HIV/AIDS. Palliative care is still the main intervention for this facility. Hospitals These facilities offer numerous services open 24/7 to be able to cater to the health needs of patients requiring a higher level of care. In this setting, they require to people to assist in the care of the client. Demented clients who become frail and enter into dementia of a severe kind are most likely to be admitted. Rest Homes In this facility, the residents are more likely to take care of themselves independently but still require supervision and a bit of support from health care assistants. These are privately-owned and offer 24-hour staffing who are trained well in dementia care. A registered nurse may be present but not at all times. They tend to have limited hours to visit and may tend to visit whenever there is an emergency. Advocates Advocates for the demented elderly support their rights to care they deserve in order to achieve good quality of life. They organize and provide information about dementia and share links to certain support groups. They do everything they can to help protect and defend the rights of the client in getting what they want out of the care given. Task 2 On Stigmas of Dementia They say that what you wouldn’t know couldn’t kill you. What if what you thought about dementia isn’t as bad as it seems? What if something you thought was wrong seemed to help at all? Here a few things that you thought wrong about dementia: Social isolation of the individual and their family What it actually is†¦ People shouldn’t look at dementia as something to be ashamed of but rather something that could open barriers of communication. Individuals who suffer from dementia tend to create more bonding moments with their family and their caregivers as well as both family and caregivers collaborate together to give much attention to the needs of the client. Being a resident in a rest home doesn’t mean being confined behind four walls for the remainder of his or her life. Recreational activities in the facilities and getting them involved in support groups help answer the emotional and social needs of the residents and clients. So people should start to see that they won’t be that alone after all. Assumption of automatic loss of independence What it actually is†¦ Dementia, once diagnosed at an early stage, can still be managed since it is in this stage that people can still carry on effectively and independently certain activities of daily living. Although they may be under supervision, that does not mean that independence has been totally taken away from the individual. Health care providers stick to the code of upholding the rights of the clients, therefore independence isn’t lost after all. Unable to make decisions about own care What it actually is†¦ This stigma may be considered granting to it that one is already in a severe case of dementia. Though health care providers and family members tend to make certain decisions on the care of the client, they are still guided by the laws protecting the rights of the client to make health care decisions. If the client has something to say about how he or she wants it to be, then there is nothing they can do but respect it. Therefore, clients can still make decisions about their own care after all. Dissatisfying interactions with the medical community What it actually is†¦ A lot of issues tend to arise from care rendered by caregivers. Proper lines of communication is essential to establish rapport and eventually gain cooperation from the client. Health care providers, especially trained in dementia care, are guided by the ethics in caring for these clients. Though there may be a few reported to have ill-mannered staff, that does not generalize the entire medical community to be the same. Appropriate disciplinary actions will take place and every client has every right to complain about the care rendered to them. Therefore, not all health care providers in the medical community are that mean after all. Uncertainty of support services and treatments What it actually is†¦ Support services and treatments are all just a click away. The internet is flooding full of advocacy organizations and support groups, which allows families and affected individuals as well easy access to the services they desire. If in any case that the internet is not within their reach or when computer literacy may pose as a challenge to the elderly populace, then they can always consult health professionals for referrals to such support groups. After all, there is no harm in asking. Conclusion Awareness is the key to unlock all the possible barriers to the demented client’s right to attain the quality of life they desire. Raising awareness of dementia, especially in its early stages, and eradicating any stigmas surrounding it would be able to help the affected individuals gain access into support systems that are readily available to accept them and advocate their rights to proper care and treatment. As soon as they get in contact with these links of support groups, they could gain access to the services they desired. Cisco Systems: SWOT Analysis and Marketing Analysis Cisco Systems: SWOT Analysis and Marketing Analysis Principles of Marketing Abstract This study aims to provide information on key marketing concepts and strategies adopted by Cisco Systems Inc. It critically analyzes Ciscos business strategies and practices by describing and evaluating its market orientation along with the impact of its marketing practices on business thereby providing an overview of its competitive advantage and SWOT analysis. One of the most vital and comprehensive marketing tools Ansoff Product-Growth Matrix has been implemented for Cisco, identifying its potential development, segmentation and diversification tactics. Porters Five Forces framework has also been included to derive five forces that determine competitive intensity and attractiveness of markets. Ciscos B2B and B2C segments are identified in conjunction with the marketing mix of product, price, promotion and place to support its marketing strategies in order to align it with its adopted business model. Introduction Cisco Systems Inc, a networking systems developer and manufacturer, was founded by two computer scientists at Stanford University in 1984. Cisco went public in 1990. Computers on local networks had not been able to communicate easily with computers outside that network, until Cisco introduced its first commercial router in 1986. Geographically dispersed networks of computers using different networking protocols, were able to be linked together by Ciscos multi-protocol router. Cisco quickly emerged a global leader in networking hardware, software and services, expanding to over 40,000 employees along with annual revenues of $23.8 billion by the end of 2000, although the economic downturn affected Ciscos 2001 revenues and compelled Cisco to layoff close to 14% of its employees (Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2001). Cisco Systems, Inc. is the global leader in computer networking for the Internet. Today, networks form an integral part of education, government, business systems and home communications. Cisco hardware, software and service contributions are used to establish the Internet solutions that make complex networks possible, enabling easy access to information anywhere, at any time, by individuals, organizations and countries. Additionally, Cisco has pioneered the utilization of the Internet in its own business practices and provides consulting services based on its experience and expertise to support other organizations around the globe. Since the companys inception, engineers at Cisco have promptly contributed in the innovation of networking technologies based on Internet Protocol (IP). This tradition of IP innovation endures with the evolution of industry-leading products in the core technologies of switching and routing along with advanced technologies in areas like home networking, security, IP telephony, storage area networking, optical networking, and wireless technology. Cisco offers a broad range of services, including technical support and a dvanced services in addition to its products. Cisco markets its services and products, both directly through its channel partners as well as through its own sales force, to service providers, commercial businesses , large enterprises and consumers. Social responsibility and customer focus are the core values on which Cisco operates as an organization (Cisco Systems Inc 2004). Over time, Cisco has proved its ability to successfully capture market transitions. Commencing in 1997 with the certainty that voice and video would all be converged to one, proceeding to the Network of Networks in 2000 and the network becoming the podium for all related web technologies and the base of customer solutions along with the most recent market transition of collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies. At Cisco, product offerings evolve as per market transitions only to best meet customer requirements. Cisco has emerged from Enterprise and Service Provider solutions to recognizing and approaching customer needs in numerous other segments including Small, Consumer and Commercial. To a large degree, the network has evolved to into a platform for providing one transparent and seamless customer experience. A key aspect of Ciscos culture is connecting and collaborating with others to make the world smaller through innovative technology and use it to enhance life experiences. Thats the Human Network a place where everyone is connected. (Cisco n.d.) Market Orientation Jaworski and Kohli (1996) defined market orientation as the organization wide generation of market intelligence pertaining to current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments, and organization-wide responsiveness to it. Customer and Market Focus In recent years, market-driven organizations have begun to evolve as the new industry giants. The market-driven formula for success in todays marketplace is to produce the right product at the right price at the right time (Bill Barrett 2001). The right product is the one that solves the customers problem and delivers the highest value. The right price is what the customer is willing to pay. The right time is when the customer needs the product. Customer needs and priorities are continuously changing. Therefore, an organization must know how customers wants, needs and values emerge over time to be successful. To gain the desired knowledge of the customer, an organization must focus on the current and prospective markets and customers it serves and put the customer first in every aspect of the organization. Marketing-orientated companies focus on customer needs (Jobber 2007: 6). By including the customer in an organizations mission and goals, market-driven organizations make providing value to the customer a top priority. This commitment to the customer is evident in Cisco Systems mission statement: To shape the future of the Internet by creating unprecedented value and opportunity for our customers, employees, investors and ecosystem partners (Cisco n.d.) Ciscos market focus begins with its emphasis on delivering unprecedented value to its customers, as well as other stakeholders, including employees, investors, and environmental partners. Ciscos mission statement is consistent with market-driven perspective of serving the objectives of all the stakeholders (Bill Barrett 2001). We believe Ciscos market orientation emphasizes continuous improvement of the processes since information gathering is one of the main characteristics of a market driven organization. As the market demands and customers requirements change continuously, it is extremely essential for such organizations to gather relevant data in all environmental sectors competitive, political, cultural, economic, technological, human resources and most importantly the consumer. Thus, it can be said that Ciscos orientation is rightly aligned with its mission statement./p> Relationship Strategies The market-driven concept suggests that putting the customer first in all aspects of an organization results in satisfying all stakeholders, which challenges the belief that multiple stakeholders often have conflicting goals. Market-driven organizations use relationship strategies to form partnerships and alliances with stakeholders to create synergy and minimize or eliminate conflicting goals. Cisco Systems has formed strategic alliances with suppliers and customers to deliver a customer-centric, total solutions approach to solving problems, exploiting business opportunity, and creating sustainable competitive advantage for our customers (Bill Barrett 2001). Cisco and its partners recognized that their products and services, combined with those of suppliers and customers, created a total solution that was more valuable than the sum of the individual pieces (Bill Barrett 2001). The most fundamental way in which Cisco views its strategy is around the idea of change, and how change aff ects customers. Essentially, it believes that market transitions that most affect customers define competitive opportunities. Change is recognized as endemic and adaptation considered to be the Darwinian condition for survival (Jobber 2007: 6). Cisco prepares for market transitions by listening to customers and by taking risks, innovating and investing 3-5 years in advance of a major transition in order to capitalize on it before competitors when the transition is realized in the market (Cisco n.d.). Ciscos vision and innovativeness can be clearly seen from the above statements that promote its connoisseurship in computer networks and the recent developments of the Internet. Its ability to anticipate and prepare for such market transitions is the key plot of its customers and its own success. Changing needs present potential market opportunities, which drive the company (Jobber 2007: 6). Cisco makes every effort in its power and scope to work towards its vision by its innovativeness which has provided enormous potential market opportunities. This approach is by far one of the largest contributors to its success in the Silicon Valley amongst its competitors in the industry. It has led to Cisco being one of the big names among industry giants like Microsoft, Apple, Sun Microsystems etc. Elements of Market Orientation Customers guide where we go and we stay ahead of market shifts so that we are ready to help our customers evolve, as their industry evolves (Cisco n.d). The customer centric approach is vital to the product development at Cisco. It signifies the presence of market orientation in the organization with respect to the customers needs and requirements that form the basis of marketing strategies at Cisco. Some of the most influential market orientation elements are strategies based on providing value for customers, rapid response to negative customer satisfaction, immediate acknowledgement to competitive challenges, and speedy detection of changes in customer product preferences (Pelham 2000). Cisco has been concentrating on the consumer markets as part of their marketing strategies. It transitioned itsLinksyssubsidiary into a dedicated consumer business group, formed a consumer-focused council, and made key changes in the way it builds consumer products. This change has accentuated Cisco s efforts in building brand awareness among customers worldwide. Cisco has tried to adopt a unified approach to consumer market since it acquired Linksys, a home networking company. It can be seen as a strategy based on creating value for customers and its focus on the much fragmented home networking segment where Cisco had expansion plans due to its belief in home networking being on the cusp of a major market transition. Cisco Business Strategies Reaching Market Adjacencies through a New Management Model Cisco business strategy for the fiscal year 2009 was to address not less than 30 market adjacencies, and they concentrated mostly in those areas where the networking technology and protocols have not seen widespread adoption (Chambers 2009). Emerging markets like India and China have provided Cisco ample growth opportunities and value for their customers and shareholders. In order to capture these opportunities, Cisco requires to move with speed and thought leadership. To accomplish this, they have a new management model based on Councils and Boards which will collaborate to set a long term direction for their business strategy. The council and board members decisions will help the organization to ensure that the goals are aligned throughout the company (Chambers 2009). Capturing Market Transitions Ciscos success also comes from capitalizing on market transitions before they occur. Their goal is to capture these market transitions faster than their competitors by identifying the technologies which play a crucial role in the future of communications and Information Technology. Acting on this differentiated strategy, they made multiple acquisitions in fiscal 2008 2009 (Chambers 2008) including wireless, unified communications and security technologies. Cisco continues to grow through internal development, acquisitions, their global partnerships, and cross-functional teamwork. One area of their differentiated strategy includes a goal of growing each product category in their advanced technologies to capture $1 billion-plus in annual revenue and the number-one market position (Chambers 2008). Providing customer satisfaction is one of Ciscos core values. Creating sustainable customer partner ­ships is a crucial part of Cisco strategy and provides invaluable insight into market tr ansitions. In addition to their technology, Ciscos knowledge of economic development, education, government, healthcare, national security and public safety issues has increased customer trust in Cisco (Chambers 2008). Being close to their customers is they believe the best way to uncover opportunity for the next market transition, long before it becomes obvious to others. Sustained Differentiation across Customer Segments and Geographies Ciscos strategy is made upon four pillars: To capture customer driven market transitions by identifying, investing and positioning. Constant innovation which is enabled through building, buying or collaborating with their partners. Cisco differentiated market approach with their ability to bind together both their business architectures and the technology. Prioritization of initiatives and cross functional teamwork that drive execution across customer segments, products, geographic theaters and value added services. Ciscos differentiated strategy has evolved based on their customer requirements to create sustainable differentiation in the industry and better serving of the needs of all their customers (Chambers 2007). Cisco is continuing to expand their services, product offerings and distribution capabilities to the strategic market. Small and medium sized businesses are increasingly taking on networking technology as they realize efficiencies from their investments in Ciscos products. With the use of efficient networking hardware and software products, SMEs have discovered new ways to work effectively and efficiently (Chambers 2007). From a geographic perspective, Cisco was pleased with the strong and balanced performance they achieved in their four largest theaters. These include European Markets, United States and Canada, Emerging Markets and Asia Pacific. Perhaps Ciscos greatest geographic success of fiscal 2007 was their Emerging Markets Theater, where their revenue grew by 39 percent on a yearly basis (Chambers 2007). Cisco believes that its business processes and collaborative approach to their emerging markets sector have significantly contributed to its growth. Cisco Channel Strategy Cisco is partnering with best in class providers to ensure that their customers receive the highest standard of support and the solutions for its products (Cisco 2009). They consider their partners as an extension of Cisco and their partnerships are truly based on long term commitments and mutual benefits. Cisco is creating market growth through their direct investments, in conjunction with the investment in partnerships which allows them to expand their knowledge, visibility and experience in new technologies. Ciscos strategy is to actively invest in all the major technology segments on a global basis. As with acquisitions, all the investment targets are thoroughly examined and analyzed for both their business and technology. Below are the Cisco acquisitions for the fiscal year 2009 (Cisco 2009). Set-Top Box Business of DVN (Holdings) Ltd.-November 2, 2009 DVN has major operations in China and they are the market leader in digital cable solutions. DVN shares Ciscos vision of performance, scalable and services-rich cable interactive platform extending into every home.Market opportunity for Cisco with this acquisition is cabling solutions. ScanSafe, Inc.-October 27, 2009 The company ScanSafe is a market leader of software services and they provide web security solutions for global enterprises as well as small businesses. By this acquisition Cisco can lead as provider of on-premise content security and their market opportunity from this acquisition turns out to be network security. Starent Networks, Corp.-October 13, 2009 Starent Networks is a leading supplier of IP based mobile infrastructure solutions, targeting mobile and converged carriers. According to Cisco there is an active investment in this market by the service provider, since the global mobile data traffic is expected to double every year. The market opportunity for Cisco with this acquisition is mobility. Tandberg-October 1, 2009 Tandberg is a global leader in video communications. They have a broad range of world class video endpoint and network infrastructure solutions. So with this acquisition, Cisco will expand its collaboration to offer more solutions to a number of customers further accelerating market adoption globally. Tidal Software, Inc.-April 9, 2009 Tidal Software is the creator of intelligent application management and automation solutions. This acquisition will advance Ciscos data center strategy by enhancing product and service delivery offerings. Pure Digital Technologies Inc.-March 19, 2009 Pure Digital, are creators of the best-selling Flip Video brand. They are pioneers in developing consumer friendly video solutions and with this acquisition Cisco can expand in the media enabled home solutions segment and capture the consumer market transition to visual networking (Hooper 2009). Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence, Inc.-January 27, 2009 Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence Inc, they are leading provider of intelligent middleware technology that enables businesses to integrate building infrastructure and information technology (IT) applications over a common Internet Protocol (IP) network, resulting in improved efficiencies, greater energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint. Ciscos market opportunity with this acquisition is physical network security. The Next Market Segmentation for Cisco Cisco has been targeting towards getting a two digit sales growth from the telecommunication sector for the year 2009. Cisco is a market leader in the telecommunication sector and they are very optimistic to realize the target. For Cisco, telecommunication sector is one of the massive market segmentations for their products, especially in the IP technology. Cisco launches 2 to 3 solutions periodically for their technology which consists of updates or some added features as extensions of their current products (Yulyanto 2009). Cisco Key Success Factor After only a few years of its foundation, Cisco became a powerhouse in network technology. It was largely unfamiliar to the average consumer until the dot-com explosion, which resulted in a large customer base, such that it became worthwhile to reach potential decision-makers in a variety of ways. The arrival of the Internet as a ubiquitous part of our lives meant that increasing numbers of small businesses and average consumers rapidly became a part of Ciscos customer base. Both market segments contribute to the addition of extra computers, whether for new employees or for family members who want to surf the web simultaneously, which has driven the demand for simpler networking products that even a non-techie can set up. In fact, sales to small and medium businesses accounted for approximately 20 to 30 percent of Ciscos US$ 18.878 billion in revenue that ended in July 2003 (Cook 2004). While the late 1990s and early 2000s saw an explosion in large computer networks as companies upgr aded their infrastructures or simply set them up for the first time, the next several years likely saw a huge jump in small networks, thanks to the ability of Wi-Fi to share a single broadband connection with several computers without the need to drill holes or run Ethernet cables (Cook 2004). The Impact, Positive and Negative, of the Organizations Marketing Mix Marketing Mix Marketing mix is defined as the tactical tools that the marketers use to implement their strategies mixing the controllableelementsof aproducts marketing plan which arecommonly termed as 4Ps: product,price, place and promotion (Kotler 2008: 202). These elements are adjusted until a balanced proportionis found thatservestheneedsof the customerswhile generatingoptimumincome. Product Product can be defined as anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. It includes physical objects, services, persons, places, organizations and ideas (Kotler et al. 2008: 539). Ciscooffers a wide range ofproductsand networking solutions designed for enterprises and small businesses across a variety of industries. They are also addressing their customer requirements in many other segments including commercial and small business. The network has become a platform for providing a transparent customer experience (Insight 2009). Managing the Product Mix Positioning and Repositioning A well planned and executed brand repositioning helps Cisco to increase their brand value along with sales. Cisco is very closely aligned with their corporate strategy, regular investments in their brand positioning or repositioning to always renew the brand significance and maintain its connection with their customers. By brand positioning Cisco has gained enormous benefits as shown below: Brand Measure The branding campaigns conducted by Cisco have lifted its brand equity and helped it to gain shares and grow sales. This has also helped them to strengthen their overall brand recognition and exceed the averages on core brand measures. After the campaign launch, Cisco has been positioned into the security space by lifting their IT security brand consideration by 54% among their tech audience in six months (Slideshare 2008). Ciscos success brand repositioning depends upon their close alignment with their overall corporate strategy which includes product positioning, channel/alliance strategy and acquisitions (Slideshare 2008). Market Share Cisco has strengthened its dominant share in the core market by 72% in switching and 80% in routers. It has also expanded their share in the new products by 6% in messaging applications, 41% in web conferencing and 21% in the video conferencing segments respectively (Slideshare 2008).The market share has been increased for the entire r ange of Cisco security products including their firewall applications, VPN and for secure routers. Jobber (2007: 405) explains Product Strategy as: The emphasis on product portfolio analysis is managing an existing set of products in such a way as to maximize their strengths. But companies also need to look to new products and markets for future growth. A useful way of looking at growth opportunities is the Ansoff Matrix. Cisco Ansoff Analysis Market Penetration Market penetration is the fundamental method of a growth strategy in which the business focuses on selling current products into existing markets. It maintains or increases the market share of current products, restructures mature markets by driving out competition and increases the usage by existing customers (Tutor2u 2009). Acquiring competitors may be one of the major ways of gaining market penetration. It may also be achieved by more aggressive ways of promotional campaigns, supporting it with a competitive pricing strategy and dedicate more resources to selling products. Cisco is known for its innovative products and introduction of those products into the market before its competitors that helps in generating mature markets. Its products like Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Network Analysis Module, Cisco 7600 Series routers, Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Firewall Services Module and many other products have already captured the market (Cisco 2009). It is increasing the market share and customer loyalty through social networking sites, blogs and public interviews. Its main strategy to penetrate the existing market is through acquisitions. It acquired Audium Corporation in June 2006 that gives it opportunity to penetrate into the IP enabled voice telephony market, Cognio, Inc in September 2007 through which it entered into wireless networking, Nuova Systems, Inc in April 2008 that gives it chance to enter into data centers and ScanSafe, Inc in October 2009 that helped Cisco to capture the network security market (Cisco Systems 2009). Market Development Market development can be essentially termed as a growth strategy where the business aims to sell its current products into new markets. Such a strategy can be achieved by venturing into new geographical markets, new product dimensions and new distribution channels. Alternatively, different pricing strategies can be adopted to attract customers and create new market segments (Tutor2u 2009). Cisco recognizes the common strings that exist between sales, engineering, security and marketing groups. Once the main links are identified by its RD Team, it tries to build a suitable interface between the groups which contributes to the companys market development. Develop, Partner or Acquire is the 3 Tier strategy followed by Cisco. It teams up with industrys major companies and then provides persuasive offers to the customers. WirelessLANs, content networking,storage networking, voice over IP and Metro IP includingoptical networking are the extended product dimensions for market development ( Cisco 2001). In addition to this, Cisco is attempting to establish its marketing presence in other potential geographical locations like China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan etc. Product Development Product development can be defined as a strategy where a business seeks to introduce new products into current markets. It requires the development of new competencies and new products which may appeal to the customers (Tutor2u 2009). Existing product lines may be extended to provide existing customers with greater choice. Cisco sets vision and then makes its strategies to achieve its targeted goals. Its strong RD capitalizes the current market situation and then provides customized business solutions according to customer needs and further plans for new products. Cisco has identified four key requirements to increase acceptance in the business world: security, availability, quality of service, and reliability (Payataqool 2009). Diversification Diversification is the advancement strategy where a business introduces new products in new markets (Tutor2u 2009). This strategy involves high risk since the business targets markets where it has no or very little experience. Cisco has started its diversification in the emerging countries that extend from Russia to the Eastern Europe and Middle East that will also include Africa and Latin America. Industries in developing countries still use limited technology despite of having concentrated wealth, less government transparency and the customers willingness to use the most advanced and high tech products and services. The company not only targets to supply advanced networking equipment but also focuses on the target countrys revolution. Cisco has successfully initiated transformation projects in Chile, Turkey and South Africa as part of its diversification strategy (Deign 2009). Managing product over time Product Life Cycle With the dynamic state of todays economy, an organizational change should not only adapt to the current climate, but it must also encourage growth (Wrage 2009). Cisco has followed this by moving from a traditional silicon based organization to a lifecycle business model. These changes are challenging for Cisco since they have more than 60,000 plus employees supported by their 46 data centers worldwide. This new life cycle consists of six separate stages: In the prepare phase it determines the business case and the project requirements. Plan phase develops the detailed project plan describing the resources and responsibilities. In the design phase it details the alignment of business goals and the technical needs. Implement phase delivers the new capabilities with the integrations. Operate phase monitors and reviews the implementations. Lastly, the Optimize phase has a continuous improvement activity of the existing processes (Wrage 2009). So with these steps in place, Cisco has start ed progressing into an organization that is best suited for the service-oriented network infrastructure organization making the cost savings and efficiency a reality (Wrage 2009). Promotion Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the products and persuade the target customers to buy it (Kotler 1999). Promotion is one of the factors which influence the buying behavior of the customer. It helps to inform people about the product and its usage. Cisco is using many means of introducing their products in global markets. They use advertising as the main tool to introduce new products and to connect with potential customers. They advertise their new products and services through public relationship, direct marketing, internet and online promotions. Cisco also uses the social media channels such as networking and blogs as a tool to promote and to extend their products to the larger audience. Cisco follows the following elements for their promotion strategy: Direct Marketing As stated by Peter Drucker (2009), Marketing is not a function; it is the whole business seen from the customers point of view. Direct marketing captures the customers by avoiding intermediaries. Cisco uses various methods to promote their product such as direct mail, telephone, telemarketing, e-marketing and other tools to directly communicate with the customers. Cisco conducts various direct marketing campaigns such as online shopping, cable television infomercials, which helps them in getting the direct response from their target audience and also to meet their demand generation goals. Advertising Advertisement can be defined as Any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor (Armstrong, Kotler 2009:383). Cisco can be grouped under the product oriented advertiser category, which highlights product features, their services and price through various advertising channels as internet, magazines, television and by e-marketing. AIDA Model AIDA is a model generally adopted by the sellers to stimulate the purchase decision of the customers. Attention The element attention, describes the stage where the brand manages to obtain customer attention, informing the customers about the product. This could be either a positive or a negative attention. The next step is to build a relationship with customers by means of advertising which is a prominent tool in the marketing mix. The product is then launched in order to encourage the customer decision of buying the product. Interest In this stage, it generates the confidence in the buyers about the products that company plans to promote. The seller then explains how this product will meet the customers requirements. Cisco as a brand has interested its customers and built the confidence in the buyer about their product interests the customers. Desire In this stage the seller inspires the customer towards the product and then relates the products to their needs. Here, advertising strategies are best suited. Since customers have the choice of choosing their configuration, it stimulat es the desire to purchase the product. Action This phase deals with persuading the consumers to buy the product and explain them the immediate benefits of the product. Advertising and direct ma