Short story “Everyday Use”

In her short story â€Å"Everyday Use,† Alice Walker takes up what is a recurrent theme in her work: the representation of the harmony as well as the conflicts and struggles within African-American culture. â€Å"Everyday Use† focuses on an encounter between members of the rural Johnson family. This encounter––which takes place when Dee (the only member of the family to receive a formal education) and her male companion return to visit Dee’s mother and younger sister Maggie––is essentially an encounter between two different interpretations of, or approaches to, African-American culture. Walker employs characterization and symbolism to highlight the difference between these interpretations and ultimately to uphold one of them, showing that culture and heritage are parts of daily life. The opening of the story is largely involved in characterizing Mrs. Johnson, Dee’s mother and the story’s narrator. More specifically, Mrs. Johnson’s language points to a certain relationship between herself and her physical surroundings: she waits for Dee â€Å"in the yard that Maggie and I made so clean and wavy† (88). The emphasis on the physical characteristics of the yard, the pleasure in it manifested by the word â€Å"so,† points to the attachment that she and Maggie have to their home and to the everyday practice of their lives. The yard, in fact, is â€Å"not just a yard. It is like an extended living room† (71), confirming that it exists for her not only as an object of property, but also as the place of her life, as a sort of expression of herself. Her description of herself likewise shows a familiarity and comfort with her surroundings and with herself: she is â€Å"a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands† (72)—in other words, she knows the reality of her body and accepts it, even finding comfort (both physical and psychological) in the way that her â€Å"fat keeps [her] hot in zero weather† (72). Mrs. Johnson is fundamentally at home with herself; she accepts who she is, and thus, Walker implies, where she stands in relation to her culture. Mrs. Johnson’s daughter Maggie is described as rather unattractive and shy: the scars she bears on her body have likewise scarred her soul, and, as a result, she is retiring, even frightened. Mrs. Johnson admits, in a loving manner, that â€Å"like good looks and money, quickness passed her by† (73). She â€Å"stumbles† as she reads, but clearly Mrs. Johnson thinks of her as a sweet person, a daughter with whom she can sing songs at church. Most importantly, however, Maggie is, like her mother, at home in er traditions, and she honors the memory of her ancestors; for example, she is the daughter in the family who has learned how to quilt from her grandmother. Dee, however, is virtually Maggie’s opposite. She is characterized by good looks, ambition, and education (Mrs. Johnson, we are told, collects money at her church so that Dee can attend school). Dee’s education has been extremely important in forging her character, but at the same time it has s plit her off from her family. Mamma says, â€Å"She used to read to us without pity; forcing words, lies, other folks’ habits, whole lives upon us two, sitting trapped and ignorant underneath her voice† (73). Dee, in other words, has moved towards other traditions that go against the traditions and heritage of her own family: she is on a quest to link herself to her African roots and has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo. In doing so, in attempting to recover her â€Å"ancient† roots, she has at the same time denied, or at least refused to accept, her more immediate heritage, the heritage that her mother and sister share. The actions Walker’s characters take, as well as their physical attributes, are symbolic of their relation to their culture. Dee’s male companion, for example, has taken a Muslim name and now refuses to eat pork and collard greens, thus refusing to take part in the traditional African-American culture. Mrs. Johnson, meanwhile, has â€Å"man-working hands† and can â€Å"kill a hog as mercilessly as a man† (72); clearly this detail is meant to indicate a rough life, with great exposure to work. Symbolic meaning can also be found in Maggie’s skin: her scars are literally the inscriptions upon her body of the ruthless journey of life. Most obviously—and most importantly—the quilts that Mrs. Johnson has promised to give Maggie when she marries are highly symbolic, representing the Johnsons’ traditions and cultural heritage. These quilts were â€Å"pieced by Grandma Dee and then Big Dee â€Å"(76), both figures in family history who, unlike the present Dee, took charge in teaching their culture and heritage to their offspring. The quilts themselves are made up of fragments of history, of scraps of dresses, shirts, and uniforms, each of which represents those people who forged the family’s culture, its heritage, and its values. Most importantly, however, these fragments of the past are not simply representations in the sense of art objects; they are not removed from daily life. What is most crucial about these quilts—and what Dee does not understand—is that they are made up of daily life, from materials that were lived in. This, in essence, is the central point of â€Å"Everyday Use†: that the cultivation and maintenance of its heritage are necessary to each social group’s self-identification, but that also this process, in order to succeed, to be real, must be part of people’s use every day. After all, what is culture but what is home to us, just as Mrs. Johnson’s yard is home to her.

Healthcare Ecosystems

LTT1 – Healthcare Ecosystems The profession of health informatics is a relatively new one, blending the use of technologies with collecting, organizing, storing, using, and evaluating health information. Technology can assist healthcare workers on every clinical and administrative level to use information more effectively in clinical decision-making for patients, and in implementing strategic goals within an organization. Check Your Understanding 2. 1 Instructions: On a separate piece of paper, write down the word or term that correctly completes each of the sentences. . The ancient ___ developed surgical procedures, documented clinical cases, and created medical books. a. Egyptians b. Greeks c. Phoenicians d. Chinese 2. The ___ was established in 1847 to represent the interests of physicians across the United States. a. b. c. d. American Association of Medical Colleges American College of Surgeons Committee on Medical Education American Medical Association 3. Today, medical s chool students must pass a test before they can obtain a ___ to practice medicine. a. degree b. residency c. specialty d. license 4.The first general training school for ___ was opened at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in 1872. a. nurses b. physician assistants c. surgical specialists d. surgeons 5. Modern ___ must have either a two-year associate’s degree or a four- year bachelor’s degree from a state-approved nursing school. a. nurse practitioners b. licensed vocational nurses c. registered nurses d. licensed practical nurses 6. In 1910, Dr. Franklin H. Martin suggested that the surgical area of medical practice needed to become more concerned with ___. a. b. c. d. atient care professional standards patient outcomes nonsurgical medical care 7. Adoption of the Minimum Standards marked the beginning of the modern ___ process for healthcare organizations. a. accreditation b. licensing c. reform d. educational 8. According to the AMA’s definition, ___ incorporates the healthcare- related professions that function to assist, facilitate, and complement the work of physicians and other clinical specialists. a. home health b. nursing care c. ambulatory care d. allied health Which ancient civilization developed surgical procedures, documented clinical cases, and created medical books?Greeks Correct! Which organization was established in the mid 1800s, to represent the interests of physicians in the United States? American Medical Association Correct! What organization is the largest standard setting body in the world? Joint Commission Correct! This legislation required hospitals to conduct continued-stay review for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Utilization Review ACt Correct! This type of hospital specializes in providing inpatient care to individuals with mental and developmental orders. Psychiatric Correct!For-profit hospitals use their excess funds to improve their services and fund community services. False Correct! At a ho spital or large healthcare facility, this group will select qualified administrators to manage the organization. Board of Directors Correct! Which one of the following is considered a part of administrative support services? Human Resources Correct! Low energy laser, electric stimulation, ultrasound, biofeedback and aquatics treatment are used by which of the following allied health professionals? Physical therapy Correct!In which decade was magnetic resonance imaging first introduced in healthcare? 1980's Correct! This type of statement from an organization expresses intentions, philosophy, and organizational self-image. Vision statement Correct! An empowered staff member has the ability to: Change the work environment when some part of it interferes with the organizational mission Correct! Leader’s in today’s healthcare organizations may reinforce organizational values by doing which one of the following: Listen to the staff Correct! What is a 360Â ° review? A perfo rmance evaluation in which peers and colleagues participate Correct!Of these functions that sustain operational infrastructure, where would health informatics best fit? Knowledge Management Correct! In the healthcare organization, operating units are designed around patient-focused care for related disease groups and medical specialties. This is known as: Service Lines Correct! In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services changed its payment regulations to eliminate payment for hospital-acquired complications. True Correct! The largest single group of healthcare organizations are: Acute Care Hospitals Correct!Which of the following is a system that deliberately monitors the long term relationship between stakeholders of a healthcare organization, and responds to changing needs? Strategic Correct! In what decade was the MRI first introduced? 1980's Correct! Which standard addresses disclosure of health information? Protecting Privacy of Health Information Correct! Which st andard addresses the intentional destruction of health information? Security and Integrity of Information Correct! Which standard addresses the monitoring of terminologies used in health information? Collection of health informationCorrect! Which standard addresses unplanned interruptions of electronic health record systems? Continuity of information Correct! Which standard asks for evidence that there are back up systems in the event of interruptions to electronic information processes? Continuity of information Correct! Which standard addresses flow of data and information within and out of the hospital? Information management planning Correct! Which standard requires evidence that health information is disseminated in a timely manner? Receival and transmission of health information Correct!Which standard addresses acronyms, synonyms, and abbreviations for medication dosage? Collection of health information Correct! Which standard requests evidence of policy implementation pertain ing to health information privacy? Protecting Privacy of Health Information Correct! Which standard requests evidence of policy implementation pertaining to unauthorized alteration of health information? Security and Integrity of Information Correct! This type of statement is sent to a patient: it shows how much the provider billed, the amount of the Medicare reimbursement to the provider, and what the patient must pay to the provider.Medicare summary notice Correct! All of these items are ‘packaged’ under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system, with the exception of one. Medical visits Correct! Which one of these is not a government-sponsored healthcare program? Blue Cross/Blue Shield Correct! Which health insurance plan covers the survivors of military personnel who died in the line of duty? CHAMPVA Correct! This legislation established an employee’s right to continue healthcare coverage beyond their scheduled termination date. COBRA Correct! What i s a MS-DRG grouper? A software program that assigns appropriate MS-DRGsCorrect! One of these items is not incorporated in the formula for determining fee schedule. Post medical school degrees held by provider Correct! Which uniform data set is used by skilled nursing facilities to gather standardized data? MDS Correct! Which one of the following is not used when calculating for patient severity level, for prospective reimbursement of home health services? Financial Correct! What form must be provided to a patient if there is a concern that Medicare will deny services because it feels the service may be medically unnecessary? ABN Healthcare Ecosystems LTT1 – Healthcare Ecosystems The profession of health informatics is a relatively new one, blending the use of technologies with collecting, organizing, storing, using, and evaluating health information. Technology can assist healthcare workers on every clinical and administrative level to use information more effectively in clinical decision-making for patients, and in implementing strategic goals within an organization. Check Your Understanding 2. 1 Instructions: On a separate piece of paper, write down the word or term that correctly completes each of the sentences. . The ancient ___ developed surgical procedures, documented clinical cases, and created medical books. a. Egyptians b. Greeks c. Phoenicians d. Chinese 2. The ___ was established in 1847 to represent the interests of physicians across the United States. a. b. c. d. American Association of Medical Colleges American College of Surgeons Committee on Medical Education American Medical Association 3. Today, medical s chool students must pass a test before they can obtain a ___ to practice medicine. a. degree b. residency c. specialty d. license 4.The first general training school for ___ was opened at the New England Hospital for Women and Children in 1872. a. nurses b. physician assistants c. surgical specialists d. surgeons 5. Modern ___ must have either a two-year associate’s degree or a four- year bachelor’s degree from a state-approved nursing school. a. nurse practitioners b. licensed vocational nurses c. registered nurses d. licensed practical nurses 6. In 1910, Dr. Franklin H. Martin suggested that the surgical area of medical practice needed to become more concerned with ___. a. b. c. d. atient care professional standards patient outcomes nonsurgical medical care 7. Adoption of the Minimum Standards marked the beginning of the modern ___ process for healthcare organizations. a. accreditation b. licensing c. reform d. educational 8. According to the AMA’s definition, ___ incorporates the healthcare- related professions that function to assist, facilitate, and complement the work of physicians and other clinical specialists. a. home health b. nursing care c. ambulatory care d. allied health Which ancient civilization developed surgical procedures, documented clinical cases, and created medical books?Greeks Correct! Which organization was established in the mid 1800s, to represent the interests of physicians in the United States? American Medical Association Correct! What organization is the largest standard setting body in the world? Joint Commission Correct! This legislation required hospitals to conduct continued-stay review for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Utilization Review ACt Correct! This type of hospital specializes in providing inpatient care to individuals with mental and developmental orders. Psychiatric Correct!For-profit hospitals use their excess funds to improve their services and fund community services. False Correct! At a ho spital or large healthcare facility, this group will select qualified administrators to manage the organization. Board of Directors Correct! Which one of the following is considered a part of administrative support services? Human Resources Correct! Low energy laser, electric stimulation, ultrasound, biofeedback and aquatics treatment are used by which of the following allied health professionals? Physical therapy Correct!In which decade was magnetic resonance imaging first introduced in healthcare? 1980's Correct! This type of statement from an organization expresses intentions, philosophy, and organizational self-image. Vision statement Correct! An empowered staff member has the ability to: Change the work environment when some part of it interferes with the organizational mission Correct! Leader’s in today’s healthcare organizations may reinforce organizational values by doing which one of the following: Listen to the staff Correct! What is a 360Â ° review? A perfo rmance evaluation in which peers and colleagues participate Correct!Of these functions that sustain operational infrastructure, where would health informatics best fit? Knowledge Management Correct! In the healthcare organization, operating units are designed around patient-focused care for related disease groups and medical specialties. This is known as: Service Lines Correct! In 2008, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services changed its payment regulations to eliminate payment for hospital-acquired complications. True Correct! The largest single group of healthcare organizations are: Acute Care Hospitals Correct!Which of the following is a system that deliberately monitors the long term relationship between stakeholders of a healthcare organization, and responds to changing needs? Strategic Correct! In what decade was the MRI first introduced? 1980's Correct! Which standard addresses disclosure of health information? Protecting Privacy of Health Information Correct! Which st andard addresses the intentional destruction of health information? Security and Integrity of Information Correct! Which standard addresses the monitoring of terminologies used in health information? Collection of health informationCorrect! Which standard addresses unplanned interruptions of electronic health record systems? Continuity of information Correct! Which standard asks for evidence that there are back up systems in the event of interruptions to electronic information processes? Continuity of information Correct! Which standard addresses flow of data and information within and out of the hospital? Information management planning Correct! Which standard requires evidence that health information is disseminated in a timely manner? Receival and transmission of health information Correct!Which standard addresses acronyms, synonyms, and abbreviations for medication dosage? Collection of health information Correct! Which standard requests evidence of policy implementation pertain ing to health information privacy? Protecting Privacy of Health Information Correct! Which standard requests evidence of policy implementation pertaining to unauthorized alteration of health information? Security and Integrity of Information Correct! This type of statement is sent to a patient: it shows how much the provider billed, the amount of the Medicare reimbursement to the provider, and what the patient must pay to the provider.Medicare summary notice Correct! All of these items are ‘packaged’ under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system, with the exception of one. Medical visits Correct! Which one of these is not a government-sponsored healthcare program? Blue Cross/Blue Shield Correct! Which health insurance plan covers the survivors of military personnel who died in the line of duty? CHAMPVA Correct! This legislation established an employee’s right to continue healthcare coverage beyond their scheduled termination date. COBRA Correct! What i s a MS-DRG grouper? A software program that assigns appropriate MS-DRGsCorrect! One of these items is not incorporated in the formula for determining fee schedule. Post medical school degrees held by provider Correct! Which uniform data set is used by skilled nursing facilities to gather standardized data? MDS Correct! Which one of the following is not used when calculating for patient severity level, for prospective reimbursement of home health services? Financial Correct! What form must be provided to a patient if there is a concern that Medicare will deny services because it feels the service may be medically unnecessary? ABN

The Gulf War and the role of air power in the Gulf War in 1991

Introduction The Gulf War remains an important event in modern history for various reasons. Firstly, it can be argued that the Gulf War is significant as it gives the background to the overall recent warfare known as the ‘Iraq War’ (Coyote, 2013, p.24). Although the perceived reasons for invading Kuwait are still disputed amongst researchers,, the most popular reason given for the invasion is Iraq’s allegation that Kuwait was stealing its oil (Freedman & Karsh, 1991, p.52). How far this was a significant cause of the war will be explored, in addition to the role that developing air power played in this War. One of the main questions this essay will attempt to answer is: did air power play a major role in the bringing the War to an endFinally, the essay will discuss the wider impact of the Gulf War on the Iraqi Government, and how it has affected the country in the modern day. Why did the Iraqi Government invade Kuwait? There has been unending debate on what the exact reason Iraqi invaded Kuwait, with scholars disagreeing on what transpired in the events the preceded the breakout of the war (Flanagan, 1991, p.18). It is fair to say that it was a culmination of several factors that led to Kuwait invasion, and no single factor could be seen as the catalyst for military action. Firstly, Iraq was heavily indebted to both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait due to their financial backing of Iraq in its war against Iran (Khadduri & Ghareeb 1997, p.1). Kuwait did more than just support the war against Iran financially; they also offered assistance by effectively becoming Iraq’s major port following the closure of Basra at the height of the conflict (Khadduri & Ghareeb 1997, p.3). The close tie between Iraqi and Kuwait during the former’s war against Iran later led to Iran targeting the country following its financial support to Iraq. Iraq owed Kuwait more than $80billion, which the Iraqi Government could not pay back (Cordesman& Wagner1996, p.45). Despite pleas from Iraq to Kuwait to write off $14 billion of the debt, Kuwait refused. The fact that Kuwait were not willing to negotiate the debt in favour of Iraq angered Iraqi Government, further increasing tension between the two countries (Danchev & Keohane, 1993, p.23). Another factor widely speculated to have increased the tension between the two countries is when Iraq claimed certain parts of Kuwait were actually Iraqi territory (Khadduri & Ghareeb, 1997, p.4). Shortly before the commencement of the war, the Iraqi Government alleged that Kuwait was stealing petroleum from Iraq by way of slant-drilling into Iraq’s Rumaila field (Freedman & Karsh, 1991, p.52). This resulted in heated disputes between the two countries, with allegations that Kuwait was stealing oil worth in the region of $2.4 billion (1994, pp.23-30). This, according to Muellor (1994, pp.23-30) arguably put more pressure on a relationship that was already strained. Muellor observe that Kuwait argued that the allegations were ill-founded and fabricated in order to justify Iraq’s resolve to take military action against Kuwait.Foreign firms working in the area took Kuwait’s side, as the common belief built on the belief that the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq was heavily influenced by Iraq’s motivation to obtain the country’s significant petroleum supplies. Some alleged that the decision to invade Kuwait had been mooted a couple of months before Aug ust 1990, as the crisis was coming to a climax (Freedman & Karsh, 1994, pp. 63-65). Linked to this issue is the allegation by Iraq that Kuwait was overproducing petroleum, which caused a revenue decrease for Iraq. It was estimated that during the period of 1985-1989, every year Iraq suffered a $14 billion deficit as a direct result of Kuwait’s oil production (Finlan, 2003, p.24). Whilst Iraq did try to negotiate with Kuwait, they did not reduce their production, which must have angered the Iraqi government. Some historians say that Iraq viewed this refusal as an act of defiance, which then became a powerful trigger for the War (Fisk, 2006, p.18). Therefore, as is often the case with invasion events, politics, money and oil can be shown to be the underlying causes of military action. An overview of the Gulf War The Gulf War took place between August 1990 and February 1991. Following Iraq’s initial invasion of Kuwait, the main players comprised coalition forces, a combination of 34 different countries led by the United States of America, against Iraq. The Iraqi Republican Guard invaded Kuwait on 2 August 1990 with over 100,000 members of the Iraqi military supported by 700 tanks in the early hours of the morning. This was met immediately by a UN Security Council sanction, which created a ban on all trade with Iraq and the freezing of all its assets (Khadduri & Ghareeb, 1997, p.73). By 4 August 1990, most Kuwaiti troops either had been overpowered or had fled to Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. Hundreds of thousands of civilians fled the country and many continued to stay there even after the end of the conflict (Flanagan, 1991, pp.18-26). The initial invasion consisted of intense military action as Iraq looked to show their intention to occupy its neighbor. This action was internationally con demned, and the UN was strongly encouraged to act and find a way forward (Fulghium, 1991). Countries worldwide called for Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait, including countries who were previously its allies, such as France and India. This international pressure against the invasion was seen quickly through immediate economic sanctions being placed against Iraq by the UN. Alongside the period of sanctions, there were efforts to negotiate with Iraq. However, these negotiations broke down, leading the coalition forces to advance their campaign against the invasion. The coalition forces were largely comprised of US military, in addition to troops from the UK, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The main aim of the coalition troops was to expel the Iraqi military from Kuwait (Fisk, 2006: xvii). This commenced with an aerial assault on 17 January 1991 (Fisk, 2006: xvii). Some alleged that the coalition forces joined the US, â€Å"for more than a Wilsonian ideal; they did so to protect their own respective national interests, not the least of which included oil, the life blood of the world economy† (Allison, 2012: vii). Nevertheless, the rising number of casualties, especially amongst children worried many people. Lesley Stahl said, â€Å"We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima†¦is th e price worth it?† (Leigh & Wilson, 2001). Secretary of State Madeleine Albright responded with, â€Å"I think this is a very hard choice, but the price – we think the price is worth it† (Leigh & Wilson, 2001). An attack on the ground followed on 24 February, which brought a victory for the coalition forces, freeing Kuwait from seven months of Iraqi military occupation (Sulton, 1995, pp.195-200). Following this liberation the coalition entered Iraq and after four days (exactly 100 hours) after the ground assault on Iraq) a ceasefire was declared (Dinackus, 2000, pp. 225-230). Air Power in the Gulf War Given the major use of air power in this war, some refer to the Gulf War as the ‘1991 Bombing of Iraq’, as Iraq military was enthusiastic to show off their airpower in the region. The bombing campaign began on 17 January 1991 and from that time until the end of the conflict, the coalition forces were involved in flying over 100,000 sorties in the region. â€Å"Air power dominated the media images of the Gulf War. Video footage of precision-guided munitions hitting their targets with pinpoint accuracy remains embedded in popular memory† (Finlan, 2003, p.30). It is arguable that one of the main factors forcing the retreat of Iraqi troops was the dropping of 88,500 tons of bombs across the country, which destroyed many areas within cities. The strategy in the air was to target not only Iraqi military sites, but also to destroy structural landmarks. This appears to have made the Iraqi military embark on a defensive strategy in response to the air campaign (Finlan, 200 3, p. 33). Hallion (1992) shares this view, and argues that strategy was evolving, seen in how the coalition air forces targeted places and structures rather than citizens. These air tactics, Hallion argues, allowed coalition forces to control Iraq without causing large fatalities. He maintains that, â€Å"the air commanders of the Allied coalition could approach the prospect of war with Iraq with such confidence in the air† (Hallion, 1992: 4). It is this confidence that stopped the Iraqi air force from being able to compete with the strength and quality of the coalition forces. Posen (2003) agrees with the assertion that air power played a significant role in the Gulf War. He took the view that, â€Å"air power alone may not be able to determine the outcome of all wars, but is a significant asset. Moreover, US air power has proven potentially devastating to mechanized ground forces operating offensively†¦as was discovered in the only Iraqi mechanized offensive† (Posen, 2003: 16) This shows that, whilst air power was not on its own sufficient for the coalition forces to be outright successfully, it did contribute greatly to the overall result. In contrast, however, Press disagrees with this argument and puts forward the view that, â€Å"even after 5 weeks of bombing, the best Iraqi units†¦were willing to maneuver into the path of US forces.† (Press, 2001: 37). Although Press does agree with Hallion that the coalition forces were more superior when military supplies and availability of resources were compared. The press argues that sup erior military resources were the main factor why US-led allied team won the war, rather than the much publicised air power. However, there is considerable support among historians for the idea that air power played a significant part in Iraq’s defeat. This includes Schultz and Phaftzgraff who argue that the strategy in the air campaign was an overarching reason why the ground assault brought rapid, total success: â€Å"All major government, military, and party headquarters were wrecked; both civil and military telecommunications were totally silenced; Iraqi air defences were largely incapacitated.† (Schultz & Phaftzgraff, 2001: 19). This strategy of destroying main services greatly helped the coalition forces and because of this, many scholars argue that air power played a valuable and significant role in their victory. It was true, however, that Iraqi forces had air power of their own too, and this was evident when they started off their intensive military invasion of Kuwait (Fulghum, 1991: 71-73). One of the reasons for the relatively quick takeover of Kuwait by the Iraqi military was that the former was taken by surprise, and was not able to offer much resistance, particularly in the air (Sayenga, 1991). Therefore, even at the outset of the war, air played a part, by assisting Iraq to take over Kuwait in a very speedy manner. However, when the competing allied forces confronted the Iraqi forces with similar airpower, the latter soon realised that their airpower were less superior. Despite the use of ground-to-air missiles by the Iraqi military, they were no match to the allied forces’ military ability (Morrocco, 1991: 40-43). USAF Lieutenant General Chuck Horner led the coalition forces and the overall military air strategy included the deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles from warships. As part of the air campaign, A-10 Thunderbolts bombing large sections of Iraq, causing considerable military and civilian deaths. It can be safely argued that the air campaign led to the destruction of much of the Iraqi armed forces, and that without this air campaign, the result might have affected the outcome, such is its importance in the Gulf War. When the coalition forces were combined, their artillery total was 2,250 combat aircraft, which was significant under any circumstances, but was particularly damaging when compared to the 500 members of the Iraqi air force (Hallion, 1992). The air campaign is often referred to by its code-name, â€Å"Operation Desert Storm† and more than 1,000 sorties were sent on a daily basis (Finlan, 2003: 30-32). Iraqi defence forces were not able to stand up to this military assault, particularly when â€Å" the first night of operations over Iraq witnessed the longest bombing run in history†(Finlan, 2003: 35). This puts into perspective how significant the role of air power was, as it had never before been seen on this scale in any war in the history. The casualty numbers were kept to a minimum for the coalition forces who only suffered 75 aircraft losses out of 100,000 sorties. Faced with this air bombing onslaught, many of the Iraqi air forces fled to Iran. This was unexpected, as coalition military had assumed that the escape might be towards Jordan and had adapted their strategy for this action. After just a few weeks, the air power assault had mostly stopped by 24 February, with the successful entry into Kuwait by coalition troops. It is arguably not a coincidence that the end of the bombing campaign and the end of the War came close together. The impact of the Gulf War on the Iraqi Government Following the passing of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 in 1991, the UN deployed several other controversial measures against Iraq, (Cortright& Lopez, 2000). As in the aftermath of any War, the Iraqi Government continued to experience financial difficulties as the rising costs of the war impacted across the country (Alnaswari 2000:89-119). Following the extensive bombing campaign by the coalition forces, the Iraqi Government had to start the process of reconstructing major towns and cities that had been severely destroyed by the bombs. It was reported that Iraqi planners believedthe coalition’s intention had been â€Å"to destroy or damage valuable facilities that Baghdad could not repair without foreign assistance. The worst civilian suffering, senior officers say, has resulted not from bombs that went astray but from precision-guided weapons that hit exactly where they were aimed at electrical plants, oil refineries and transportation networks.† (G ellman1991). However, it is in economic terms that the real impact of the Gulf War was felt. Alnasrawi has argued that oil was Iraq’s ‘gold dust,’ forming the bedrock of their economy and therefore the UN sanctions virtually destroyed this industry with the closure of 90% ports and 97% of exports (Alnasrawi, 2000:89-119). As long after the war as 1996, Iraq was in a dire situation, with a humanitarian crisis, and the UN agreed to offer temporary oil-for-food (OFF) program where Iraq was permitted to sell oil under very stringent conditions. Historians disagree and argue about the exact effect of this on the Iraqi Government; one report stated that, â€Å"Even under the most benign conditions, OFF only allows Iraq to be run as a relatively efficient refugee camp in which people get just about enough food to eat† (Gazdar, 2002). Although it has also been suggested that â€Å"Between the springs of 2000 and 2002, [US and UK] holds on humanitarian goods tripl ed† (Gordon, 2002), the financial ruin that the Iraqi Government found itself in, was as a direct result of the Gulf War. Conclusion With its many casualties and serious effect on global politics, the Gulf War remains a crucial landscape when considering modern politics, particularly in the Middle Eastern region. During its occupation by the Iraqi military, more than 1000 Kuwaiti civilians died, and thousands more fled the country never to return. As it has been shown here, there are a number of factors put forward as contributing to the invasion of Kuwait, and it has been this essay’s aim to argue that the allegation that Kuwait was stealing oil from illegal sources was the ultimate catalyst for the war, rather than the main reason. There were many different forces at play as relations between the two countries had reached volatile to say the least. Nevertheless, what is also interesting in this debate is the suggestion that interest in the conflict from coalition forces came out of an attraction to Kuwait’s oil production. Oil is in increasing demand within the Western World and it is not surprisin g that many see it as a strong underlying motive for – or at least, a significant factor in – the Coalition’s engagement. This is summed up very well by Finlan, who states, â€Å"The critical issue that transformed the situation in the Gulf from a regional dispute into a full-blown international crisis was, above all, the substantial oil reserves in that area and the world’s dependence on this ‘black gold.’ If left to his own devices, Saddam Hussein possessed the ability to have influence over, or outright control of, 40 per cent of the known oil supplies on the planet by combining his own reserves with Kuwait and possibly, that of Saudi Arabia.† (Finlan, 2003: 9). In addition, it has been proposed here shown that air power had a significant role to play in the war and its eventual conclusion. The Iraqi Air Force were no match for the advanced technology at the disposal of the Coalition military, made clear during the extensive bombing campaign and also from the defensive strategy which the Iraqi army were forced to take. It has been this essay’s objective to provide evidence for the contention that the role of air power was considerable. Without the serious impact the bombing campaign had on the Iraqi forces and the Iraq infrastructure, no one knows how the Gulf War would have developed, how long it would have lasted, and what other consequences there might have been. Many lives were lost and it was clear that the Iraqi Government could not compete with the sheer scale of its opponents or stop the devastating impact on its civilians. The aftermath of the Gulf War therefore had a considerable impact upon the Iraqi Government. Arguably, the most significant effect of the war was on the economy, asthe war â€Å"produced serious hardships to the people and set the economy back to 19th Century status† (Alnasrawi, 2000: 89-119). Many academics working in this field believe that, the Gulf War laid the foundations for the more recent ‘Iraq War’ in 2003, which extends its significance even further to say the least. References Allison, W. (2012) The Gulf War, 1990-91 Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan Alnasrawi, A. (2000) Iraq: Economic Embargo and Predatory Rule Oxford: OUP Cordesman, A. & Wagner, (1996) A.The Lessons of Modern War, Vol IV – The Gulf War Oxford: OUP Cortright, David, And George A. Lopez. (2000) The Sanctions Decade: Assessing UN Strategies in the 1990s. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Coyote, C. (2013) Iraq War 2013: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes, US: Charles Edmond Coyote. Danchev, A. &Keohane, D. (1993) International Perspectives on the Gulf Conflict: 1990-91 London: Palgrave Macmillan Dinackus, T. (2000) Order of Battle – Allied Ground Forces of Operation Desert Storm, Oregon: Hellgate Press Finlan, A. (2003) The Gulf War 1991 (Essential Histories) Oxford: Osprey Publishings Fisk, R. (2006) The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East London: Harper Collins Flanagan, E. (1991) ‘The 100-Hour War,’ Army, April, 1991, pp 18-26. Freedman, L. & Karsh, E. (1994) The Gulf Conflict 1990-1991 and Diplomacy and War in the New World Order London: Princeton University Press Fulghum, D. A. (1991). Allied Air Power, Forward Controllers Back Arabs to Make Their Drive Succeed. Aviation Week & Space Technology, 134(16), 71-73. Gazdar, H. (2002) â€Å"Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post Modern Famine in Iraq† Institute of Development Studies Bulletin, The New Famines, October, Vol. 33. Gellman, B, (1991) ‘Allied Air War Struck Broadly in Iraq: Officials Acknowledge Strategy Went Beyond Purely Military Targets’ Washington Post, (June 23, 1991) Gordon, J., (Dec, 2002) ‘Cool War’Harper’s Magazine. Available at: http://harpers.org/archive/2002/11/cool-war/ [accessed 28 February 2014] Hallion, R. (1992) Storm over Iraq – Air Power and the Gulf War, Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press Hillen, J. (1991) ‘2nd Armoured Cavalry: The Campaign to Liberate Kuwait’ Armor, Ju ly-August, pp 8-12 Khaddori, M &Ghareeb, E. (1997) War in the Gulf 1990-91 Oxford: OUP Leigh, D. & Wilson, J. (10 October 2001) ‘Counting Iraq’s Victims’ The Guardian Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/10/iraq.socialsciences [accessed 28 February 2014]. Morrocco, J. (1991) ‘War will Reshape Doctrine, but Lessons are Limited’ Aviation Week and Space Technology, April 22, pp 40-43. Muellor, J. (1994) Policy and Opinion in the Gulf War Chicago: University of Chicago Press Posen, B.R. (2003) Command of the Commons: The Military Foundations of U.S Hegemony, International Security pp 5-46. Press, D.G. (2001) ‘The Myth of Air Power in the Persian Gulf War and the Future of Warfare’ International Security, Vol 26, Issue 2, pp 5-44 Sayenga, K. ‘Wings over the Gulf’ The Discovery Channel: Bethesda, 1991 Schultz, R. &Pfaltzgraff, R. L. (1992) The Future of Air Power in the aftermath of the Gulf War Alabama: Air University Press Sulton, B. (1995) Desert Warrior: A Personal View of the Gulf War by the Joint Forces Commander London: HarperCollins

International accounting and finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International accounting and finance - Essay Example International companies play a huge role in the global company and can have a powerful influence on the prospects and performance of several economies, especially those that are directly influenced by its business operations and decisions (Ray Whittington, 2007). Irrespective of their nature of operation, both domestic as well as international companies rely on the efficient management of their financial resources, wherein the financial management of the company can be defined as the management of the financial resources of a business organization so as to guide it towards the achievement of its financial objectives (Arthur Andersen, 1977). In this aspect, there are a few aspects, which are entirely applicable irrespective of the area or extent of operation of the company. With a view to improving the prospects of commercial business as the basis of the structure for the organization, the key objectives of managing the finances of the firm are to primarily generate revenue and profits for the business apart from ensuring the liquidity levels within the business. In addition, it is also necessary for financial management to provide the required strategies to help generate a healthy return on investment by assisting in identifying and mitigati ng all the risks involved in conducting the business by putting in a certain set of resources. In this respect, financial management is achieved for any firm through three main sections. Planning: in order to fund business operations, the management needs to be sure of the amount of funding available and the sums required to aid the needs of the business. Funding is required to invest in the company, its infrastructure, human resources as well as assist in the sales made over the credit (Barry Epstein, 2001). For longer terms, funding is also required to enhance the levels of productivity

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

Art 1A - Essay Example Small bronze statues were commonly found in every sanctuary in Greece. The Statuette of a Horse is one among these small sculptures. It is made out of bronze which measures 3 1/8† x 1 3/8† & 2 3/16†. It is typically molded as shown by its form. Minute details on the surface, however, were less apparent as the artifact was aged as observed by its surface texture. The artist showed both abstract style and naturalistic approach in this particular work. The artist was not so particular with the details of the artwork. The abstract characteristics of the statuette are shown by the long head, the small body and other features. Several works were found in Greece that showed similar approaches and style including the use of the horse as a subject which was evidence of naturalist idea. Although, less emphasis were given on naturalistic rendering but rather on details of some specific parts of the body as shown by the long legs which may have represented some characteristics the sculpture was made to symbolize. The artist might have petitioned agility and speed. It could be an offering to appease the Gods. Or it could be for something else. The maker of the artwork is unknown but the perforated base suggests that it was made in Southern Greece where this style was mostly observed based on literatures. The style was most common during the Geometric Period (8th century BCE) and the early archaic era which began in the early seventh century BC. Particularly, this sculpture was believed to be crafted during 750-700 BCE based on the Getty Museum record. During the Archaic period artists preferred the use of bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) against pure copper because of its ability to be molded easily. It is a known fact that bronze would stay liquid longer than pure copper when melted. This characteristic is considered advantageous to the delicate artist of those

Modernism to Postmodernism in Fashion and Design Essay

Modernism to Postmodernism in Fashion and Design - Essay Example The essay "Modernism to Postmodernism in Fashion and Design" states modernism, postmodernism and its relation to fashion and design. In the 1930s, a great deal of the art being produced throughout Western Europe was typically classified as Modern art, although it was then further divided into several different subcategories such as Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Surrealism and Abstract art. The characteristic feature of most of these art forms was that they sought to pursue the ideas behind the art rather than seeking to portray a life-like rendition of the subject matter. They also broke the rules of art, which had, until this time period, conformed to specific rules of creation and was always created within a studio where all elements could be controlled. The movement began with Impressionism, which focused on the effect of light on objects and typically portrayed scenes such as landscapes and daily life. Recognizable works from this genre include tho se of Claude Monet, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas and Pierre Auguste Renoir. Manet’s painting, Dejeuner sur l'herbe, created in 1863, is roughly considered to be the start of the Impressionist, and therefore the Modern, movement. Fauvism represented a wilder side of Impressionism in its use of strong, vivid colors and simplified designs in expressive, meaningful ways. Artists in this movement were Henri Matisse, Andre Derain and Maurice de Vlaminch. The Expressionist movement, existing as the step-sister to Fauvism.

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Finance - Assignment Example 6. Â  If you calculate the growth prospects of a firm and from this forecast you project the amount of and timing of dividends and then you discount this dividend stream back to the present you are applying the Firm Foundation Theory. 8. Â  I do not currently own shares of FB. I think that the business model of FB is going to fail. I decide to borrow shares of FB and then sell these borrowed shares. This is an example of a short sale. 9. Â  It was individual investors who made huge mistakes that led to the dot.com and housing bubbles and the collapse of these markets. If individuals had allowed professionals to manage their money the destruction of value that took place when the dot.com and housing bubbles burst could have been avoided. 10. Investors are rational and this places constraints on asset prices. For example if Company X owns 90% of company Y and 10% of Company Y is traded on a stock exchange then the value of company X will always be the value of 90% of company Y plus the value of Company X. 11. IPOs are a way for insiders to liquidate their ownership interests of a company. IPOs tend to increase in frequency during a stock market bubble because the public is demanding to participate in the market for a new technology. This demand increases the value of shares offered and fuels the demand for more share

MBA -International Business- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MBA -International Business- - Essay Example Production can now be done within different nations as well as distant geographical regions by companies through the process of internationalization. This has probed the multinational corporations or individuals who intend to venture into the international trade to learn about international business. However, countries differ in institutional frameworks, social cultural as well as the political orientation. It is thus very important to learn and understand the different cultures, institutional frameworks as well as the political scope of the other countries for the sake of any beneficial interaction. They are critical determinants of the performance of the introduced business as wholesomely they form the business environment t in which the business will be operating. Differing perspectives within countries as regards to these institutional as structural set-ups would differently affect the business. The success of an industry within one country does not therefore automatically ascert ain success to the same business within another country. For instance, the United States and Brazil are nations that regularly interact in business relations. In the United States, the first impression matters a lot and is basic to the success of every business relationship. The Americans appreciate eye contacts and a firm handshake with business partners (Bowie, n.d p.1-12). In regard to understanding the intrigues surrounding the expansion of a manufacturing industry from the Western country into a member country to the BRIC block, we shall take an analysis case of a textile firm based in the U.S.A intending to expand her operations into Brazil. Brazil is a member country to the BRIC group together with the Russian republic, India as well as China (Pedro et al, 2012, p.4). This research intends to study the opportunities and challenges, associated with the cultural and political environment in Brazil and which are likely to affect a foreign textile industry there. We also intend t o study other appropriate business forms for the manufacturing plant. Lastly, we intend to survey the business environment in Brazil, through which we shall explore the opportunities available as well as the challenges that this manufacturing industry is likely to face while exploring the market within Brazil and thus have dependable conclusions and recommendations. Discussion: Administrative duties within Brazil are carried out in Brasils as it is where the elected federal officials reside, she is the 6th largest economy after she over did UK in 20111 (Lara, 2010, p.6). She has a population of approximately 180 million people with majority of the people living in urban centers. She has a modern economy with agriculture servicing about 9 percent, industry and manufacturing servicing about 37 percent and service industry servicing about 53 percent of the total GDP. Over a long time, her largest business partner has been the United States though greater trends are emerging with China and the middle-east countries taking shape in the international business scene with her. Between 1930s and 1960s Brazilian economy was dominated by import substituting industrialization. She has however, undergone through a great ideological reversal since then (Cardoso, 2009, p.5). She is now a major global participant within the global market with

Operations Management Discussion Questions Assignment

Operations Management Discussion Questions - Assignment Example Furthermore, the place where a new facility is located illustrates the possibilities of your facility succeeding or not succeeding. My organization puts into considerations various criteria on deciding the location of a new facility. Customer criterion is one of the principles to reflect. The nature of your business determines the nature of your customers, for example, if a facility is a restaurant where many people gather, and busy high streets are the best location to place the restaurant (Bognanno, Keane, and Yang, 171). Employees’ criterion is considered, since for them, the best location is where there is accessibility of public transport and reliable local facilities. Suppliers’ criterion is considered since our facility depends heavily on supplies from other facilities. However, when locating the suitable place, for our facility, we consider expedient infrastructure links to ensure deliveries are quick and easy. Business competitors’ criterion is another f actor we consider when placing a facility. Our organization ensures we deal with different products from our competitors, and we are not particularly near to them. However, sometimes if we have a competitor with a business rivaling our products we prefer being close to more customers. The criteria my organization considers are appropriate because our facilities have been appreciably successful. Our organization has been effective in choosing appropriate facility location by fully debating on each criterion, depending on the products we are intending to offer and the people we are intending to reach to come with the best locations. DQ1 Responses Strategically selecting a facility is exceptionally vital, as it is one of the major factors to consider when setting up a new facility. Advantages of strategically selecting a location of a facility are easy accessibly to the organization, customer influx in to the organization, easy and quick delivery of supplies and accessibility of good a nd decent local amenities and communal transport by employees. Advantages of strategically selecting a location for a facility are well demonstrated by the location of ideal Inland Ports. Spee and Wim demonstrate advantages of the location of the Ideal Island Ports as competent access to logistics services, infrastructure systems and consumer markets (34). Furthermore, its location has supported easy access to advanced transportations infrastructures. The previous ports that are in close vicinity with Inland Port were unsuccessful due to poor selection of a potential site (Spee and Wim, 38). The ports were unable to access convenient transportation, delayed supplies of goods, had poor logistics, the consumer market was undesirable, the employees could not access communal transport and decent facilities. These caused the Ports a lot of money to hire transport for the delivery of their supplies. In addition, due to poor communal transport and local amenities the company incurred extra cost in proving its employees with transport and facilities. The cost incurred by the company is decidedly vital, since if it is not incurred by the company it will lose its employees and its customers due to lack of accessibility to transportation. In addition, the delivery of supplies will become slow, difficult, poor, undesirable services would be offered, and poor

Resource and Talent Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Resource and Talent Planning - Essay Example Table of Contents 1.Introduction 4 2.The War for Talent 5 3.Factors affecting the War for Talent 6 4.Talent Management during Economic Downturns 7 4.1 Recruitment and Selection 8 4.2 Training and Development 9 4.3 Talent Retention 10 5.Conclusion 11 1. Introduction The war for talent has been as a result of an expanding global economy. This is because it has led to increased competition for talent around the globe. During times of slow economic growth or unusual economic crisis, management of talent remains a critical issue for organisations. This is because during such times, companies stand to lose valuable talents among their employees, if not careful. In order to succeed in the competitive global marketplace, organisations need to manage talent. Lockwood defines talent management as the application of systems created to improve productivity in the workplace or unified approaches by establishing better methods for inviting, cultivating, maintaining and deploying individuals with t he essential skills and abilities to fulfil present and forthcoming business needs (2006). It is a fact that the greatest challenge companies’ face in managing their work force is developing and retaining talent. Just like the rest of the world, talent management is constantly progressing. Different other factors also come into play in the effort to manage talent within organisations. These include partnerships, global development, and the economy that is constantly changing (Lockwood, 2006). At the centre of talent management is the belief that talent begins from the bottom of organisations and is present in individuals at all levels, and therefore everyone ought to be considered. The war for talent is influenced by factors such as increased movement of people across the globe, irreversible changes to cultures, skills and business environments, economic and demographic trends across the globe, and diversity, which all lead to competition for labour and labour shortages in or ganisations. To counter this, especially during times of slow economic growth, organisations focus on recruiting top talent, training and developing talent, and retaining good employees as discussed in this paper. 2. The War for Talent The term ‘The War for Talent’ was created by McKinsey & Company in 1997. During the time that this term came to being, many organisations had been experiencing the phenomenon associated with it, but they could not fully express it. According to Michaels, Handfield-Jones and Axelrod, â€Å"the economy was burning white hot in the late 1990s and companies were scrambling to hire and retain the people they needed† (2001, p. 1). During this time, organisations were offering substantial bonuses for those who signed contracts with them, highly qualifies employees were being headhunted before they even settled in their new jobs and majority of them were asking for salary increments barely three months after joining organisations (Michaels , Handfield-Jones and Axelrod, 2001). Companies experienced shortages for qualified employees to fill crucial positions, while those that were esteemed with such talents, such as consulting firms and

Depiction of Old Age in Greeting Cards Essay Example for Free

Depiction of Old Age in Greeting Cards Essay The stereotyping of adults is intimately etched in the culture of America and is reinforced by television and newspapers. Pop culture portrays children and old people together as though they have personality characteristics in common. In greeting cards, old people are given the personalities, dress, physical problems, playthings, and activities of children. Popular culture portrays children and old people together as though they have personality characteristics in common. The aspect most commonly depicted in greeting cards is the notion of second childhood. Pop culture portrays old people and kids in the same manner and implies similar characteristics. Greeting cards usually depict the senile in kids apparel. Obviously, the association of old people with children degrades their social status and steals the gray power movement of adults that has an effect on political and social upheavals. The medias effort, especially greeting card companies, must be assessed in order shrug off the degrading portrayal of old age (Schoeni, 2005). Old-age disability rates among all major socioeconomic and demographic groups declined over the past two decades, but the magnitude of the fall was larger for those who have Higher income, has more years of education, is married, and is younger. As a result, Disparities in disability have increased. The causes of these developments are unknown, While the potential ramifications for social and personal well-being is substantial. People ages 65 and older, minority and socio-economically disadvantaged populations are much more likely than other groups to experience disability and the physical, cognitive, and sensory limitations that underlie it ( Schoeni, 2005). Psychology of Aging The psychology of ageing encompasses a variety of approaches and experimental traditions which, while complementing the clinical sciences, nevertheless remain rooted in the psychology of human development. Two of these ‘experimental traditions’ provide the focus for this contribution: speed of performance and intellectual performance. Superficially representing the ‘physical’ and the ‘mental’, and closely related to the most enduring stereotypes of ageing, speed and intellectual performance are among the longest studied of all phenomena in experimental psychology. Understanding how these two aspects of functioning interrelate and change with normal ageing provides useful insights into psychological adaptation across the lifespan, and helps to identify opportunities for constructive intervention (Morgan, 2004). Finitude and its Various Effects Death is the one certainty all people face in their lives. Although the timing and nature of this death is uncertain, as people age their death becomes more imminent. What sense can be made of this at a societal and individual level? Within Western society, death engenders complex personal responses and as a result we find it hard to address the needs of people as they face dying and death. People hold different meanings for this transition, from life to death, and these different constructions shape the way in which the transition from life to death is perceived, managed and experienced by older people. This influences the process of dying, the priorities older people express, the places where they experience their dying and the planning they may wish to engage with around their own end of life ( Hurlock, 1980). With this in mind, the image of old people who are depicted in greeting cards are ridiculed in a way. These themes in greeting cards imply that old people are useless and not wise at all, and all of them are leaning towards the path of death and retirement. In an article in the magazine Psychology Today, it is explained the relation of greeting cards and old people: â€Å"If greeting cards are band-aids for broken relationships, then it may be time for their makers to find some better adhesives. The nations purveyors of social expression have no formal mechanism for tapping the national mood or figuring out the relationship needs of Americans. Industry giants Hallmark and Gibson admit that the greetings they proffer are not the result of a very scientific process. In fact, they rely more on a random blast of staffer intuition than on national surveys, focus groups, or mall interviews. † (Psychology Today, 1992) Greeting card companies hire all types of people from grandparents to young single parents, people who can relate to other people and can express their sentiments by sharing them through greeting cards. Companies refrain from hiring â€Å"psychology people†. Consumer requests and follow-up surveys indicated that people were looking for a way to support those freeing themselves of dependency. But Hallmark never consulted a staff psychologist. Thats because, like other card companies, it doesnt have one-even though its business is devoted to deciphering the American psyche (Psychology Today, 1992). Old Age in Different Psychological Perspectives Physical Grandparents depicted in greeting cards are usually presented as the normal senile and wrinkly individuals that they are. These people are in the verge of death and it is manifested physically. The Elderly is usually shown being hugged by kids as a sign of respect for their wisdom (Hurlock, 1980). Cognitive The cognitive skills and abilities of people who are in the stage of old age are in constant depletion due to the fact that their sensory system is hampered by the frequent use during their prime. Old people have a hard time catching up with the spontaneity of younger people (Hurlock, 1980). Psychological Perhaps that is because as older adults we can often look back on our lives with happiness and are content, feeling fulfilled with a deep sense that life has meaning and weve made a contribution to life, a feeling Erik Erikson calls integrity. Our strength h comes from a wisdom that the world is very large and we now have a detached concern for the whole of life, accepting death as the completion of life. A result of a triad of biological, psychological, and social factors that may be controlled, and thus the possibility of a decline in the prevalence of old age depression (Hurlock, 1980). Social The Disengagement theory suggests that withdrawal is a mutual process norm and societal expectations allow more reflection and freedom. People can become more reflective about their lives and can become less constrained by social roles. People become more discerning about relationships, which can help them adjust to increasing frequency of serious illness and death among their peers. Disengagement is not an automatic, universal process for all people in late adulthood. Meaning that the disengagement theory is subjective and does not apply to all old people ( Hurlock, 1980). Reference Morgan,K. (1992). Psychological aspects of ageing. Psychiatry. Volume 3. Issue 12. Pages 8-10 Hurlock,E. 1980. Developmental Stages in early childhood and adolescence. Developmental Psychology: A Lifespan Approach. Fifth Edition. New York. Schoeni,R. (2005). Socio-Economic and Demographic Disparities in Trends in Old-Age Disability. Trends Working Paper Series. Psychology Today Staff. (1992. ) Sending your very best. Psychology today. 1992.

Case enron Essay Example for Free

Case enron Essay Enron faces most of the risk ordinarily faced by any energy company, including price instability and foreign currency risks. Enron operated in many different areas of the world with different regulatory and political risks. Enron faced business risks such as a complex business model, extensive use of derivatives and special purpose entities, aggressive transaction structuring and accounting, rapid expansion of business through complex and unconventional ventures, extensive reliance on credit rating, and limitations in GAAP. The complex nature of the business model of Enron increased the likelihood of material misstatements. It enabled the management to overstate its revenue while not disclosing the actual value of its debt. The risk of fraud by management was high. The transactions involving SPEs essentially involved Enron receiving borrowed funds that were shown as revenue without recording liabilities. Also, the amount of misstatements was huge as Enron had hundreds of such SPEs. Complex financial derivative transactions were used to hide enormous amounts of debt. Huge increases in borrowing were made to look like hedges for commodity trades rather than new debt financing. The network of SPEs along with complicated speculations and hedges kept an enormous amount of debt off the balance sheet. The accounting standards were inadequate in providing for the proper accounting of these transactions. The loopholes in the standards were used to structure transactions in such a way that hundreds of SPEs were excluded from consolidation. Also, the management took advantage of the complexity of accounting standards to shroud the actual economic substance of the transactions. Adequate disclosures with regard to related party involvement and securing outside SPE investors against possible losses were not made.

An Analysis Of Holden Caulfield

An Analysis Of Holden Caulfield The mind of a teenager is a very complex organ that has various sections, each specifically designed to deal with an assortment of different problems which that person happens to be encountering. Although this very powerful organ is capable of handling a plethora of different tasks, it can fail when faced with plenty of problems in such a short amount of time. Thus, in order to determine what is wrong with an individual, one must study the events that would have the greatest toll on the human mind. In regards to the individual being a teenager, the different range of events is narrowed down even more. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is notably affected by death, social rejection and abuse, and abandonment. Death is one of the worst events that an individual can experience and in Holdens case, death is very prevalent. The most impacting death that affects Holden is the death of his brother Allie. This is evident when Phoebe asks Holden to name just one thing he likes, to which he responds I like Allie. I said. And I like doing what Im doing right now. Sitting here with you, and talking, and thinking about stuff (Salinger 11). Holden constantly mentions how much he misses and loves Allie which lead the reader to interpret that Allies death changes Holden for the worst. From what Holden mentions to Phoebe, the reader can also see that he likes being able to discuss and let out all of the feelings he has been holding in. In addition, Holdens worry about what happens to the ducks and fish in Central Park during winter time shows how death has been a constant concern in his mind. His worry about death is also show when he mentions he wants to be a Catcher in the Rye to save the kids lives if they fall off the cliff. The society in which Holden lives in has a great affect on him, in that he feels alone and abused. From the very first chapter in this novel to the end, Holden is alone, watching others having fun. His unique personality makes him a socially awkward character, which is best seen in his encounter with the prostitute. Holden is also physically abused in this seen when he gets punched and later on in the novel by Mr. Anatoli. In Jenniffer Scuhuesslers article, she mentions that Holden would not have felt so alone if he were growing up today. After all, Mr. Salinger was writing long before the rise of a multibillion-dollar cultural-entertainment complex largely catering to the taste of teenage boys. This is true because during the mid-twentieth century, there was not exactly a norm for teenage boys to follow. Holdens case is even worse since he was constantly moving for a different school, never being able to actually settle down and blend in with other kids. From the first school Holden goes to he feels abandonment, whether it was by his parents or from the kids around him. The abandonment by Holden feels from his parents is so strong that the reader hears very little about them and when Holden does say something it is usually negative. Lisa Privtera agreement with this statement is shown when she says Family has failed Holden. That is, all except his ten-year-old sister, Phoebe. The constant rejections Holden experiences, whether it is by the phone or in person, are so dreadful that Holden can only interpret them to the other person being a phony. Towards the end of this novel, Holden basically gives up on trying to fight abandonment so he decides that he will live out in the West all alone as a deaf-mute. Death, social rejection, abuse, and abandonment take a heavy toll on Holden, especially since their effects occur in the span of eight years. His diagnosis can best relate to the post- traumatic stress disorder that soldiers face after returning from war due to the similarity in symptoms. The first symptom, frightened thoughts, is easily visible towards the end of the novel when Holden speaks to Allie because he is scared that he will disappear while crossing the street. The second symptom, hyper arousal, is present throughout the entire novel and is the cause for Holdens social rejection. In addition, he is always having trouble sleeping and is always in an angry mood. Lastly, indifference and avoidance are very prevalent as Holden is alone a significant amount of the novel in addition to the carelessness for his future.

Imaginative Freedom of Birches :: Robert Frost Birches Essays

Imaginative Freedom of Birches        Ã‚  Ã‚   In "Birches" (Mountain Interval, 1916) Frost begins to probe the power of his redemptive imagination as it moves from its playful phase toward the brink of dangerous transcendence. The movement into transcendence is a movement into a realm of radical imaginative freedom where (because redemption has succeeded too well) all possibilities of engagement with the common realities of experience are dissolved. In its moderation, a redemptive consciousness motivates union between selves as we have seen in "The Generations of Men," or in any number of Frost's love poems. But in its extreme forms, redemptive consciousness can become self-defeating as it presses the imaginative man into deepest isolation. "Birches" begins by evoking its core image against the background of a darkly wooded landscape: When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy's been swinging them. But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay As ice storms do. The pliable, malleable quality of the birch tree captures the poet's attention and kicks off his meditation. Perhaps young boys don't bend birches down to stay, but swing them they do and thus bend them momentarily. Those "straighter, darker trees," like the trees of "Into My Own" that "scarcely show the breeze," stand ominously free from human manipulation, menacing in their irresponsiveness to acts of the will. The malleability of the birches is not total, however, and the poet is forced to admit this fact into the presence of his desire, like it or not. The ultimate shape of mature birch trees is the work of objective natural force, not human activity. Yet after conceding the boundaries of imagination's subjective world, the poet seems not to have constricted himself but to have been released.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow crust-- Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. Fascinated as he is by the show of loveliness before him, and admiring as be is of nature as it performs the potter's art, cracking and crazing the enamel of ice coating on the birch trees, it is not finally the thing itself (the ice-coated trees) that interests the poet but the strange association be is tempted to make: "You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen.

Cinderella In Therapy Essay -- essays research papers

Cinderella in Therapy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie â€Å"Cinderella,† Cinderella is a maid to an evil stepmother and two very heartless and obnoxious stepsisters. The only reason that Cinderella still puts up with their orders is an example of the Behavioral perspective. The Behavioral Perspective puts emphasis on learning by experience with rewards and punishments. She knows that if she does not do the chores, she will be punished or thrown out of the household. She does not have anywhere to go because her mother and father have passed away. Because Cinderella is a genuinely kind human being who wishes to please, she usually does not stick up for herself against the others in the household. She is used to taking on the brunt of the housework and doesn’t complain of her unfair and lowly position as maid of her own house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cinderella is a dreamer and dreams about being rescued from the unhappy confinement she is stuck in, and living happily ever after with her prince charming. She believes that the treatment she receives can only get better, so she is still hopeful day after day, through all the severe treatment the house members put her through. The movie does not give much information about her childhood or past memories, so there is not much that we can derive from those aspects of the cognitive perspective. The cognitive perspective puts emphasis on individual potential for growth and the role of unique perceptions in guiding behavi...

Love One Another :: essays research papers

Love One Another Well, I sure hope I was not the only one who caught the main message of today's gospel. If you accidently missed the gospel, the main message from Jesus was that he commanded us to "love one another." I gave the message some thought thinking of "how can I love everybody?" How could I love my enemies? How can I love someone when they already have a lover? How can I love someone that I do not know? It is all these "how's." So how can I love my enemy? After giving it more thought, I found a little solution. It might not be the best solution, but it will suit my needs. If this enemy offends me, I tell the enemy with my heart that I truly did not appreciate that comment. What does that relate to love your enemy? I was trying to show my love to my enemy by expressing my feelings. What about how can I love someone when they already have a lover? We can still love someone and still be friends or maybe even best friends. There is nothing wrong in being friendly with someone that already has a lover. Well, what about how can I love someone that I do not know? An easy solution is to get to know society. Just do not have doubt and end up using assumption. Be critical, be open, ask questions, and get to know how peers. Okay, but what if I am a shy person? There is wrong being shy. Everybody is shy of something, but shyness can always be reverse. I used to be shy of something, but then I gave it some thought when I was thinking when life was getting boring. I thought that if I were more open and sought friendship, my

A Research Proposal Essay

1. Introduction Along with economy and technology are all developing rapidly in recent years, it is significant that globalization has become an overwhelming trend in all  walks of life. Benefit from this process above, the global markets can be bounded together in multi-cultural environments and become more complicated than ever before (Park and Reisinger, 2009). Thus, it is important for companies to conduct accurate market segmentation before access to a new market nowadays (Schmitt, 1997). The research aims to find out the differences in customers’ attitudes to luxury brands in China and UK, under various cultural backgrounds. To be exact, as cultural diversity will lead to differences in consumers’ needs, consuming behaviour and values, I decide to write the research proposal in view of culture segmentation. In terms of religion and country, objective factors such as various geographical environments, the heritage of history and culture, the outside culture and so on, all of these will bring about cultural difference (Schmitt, 1997). In addition, from a social perspective, cultural differences will be caused by people’s occupation, education and economic status, etc. As the largest developing country, China has become a huge potential market. Besides, since China is a vast country, itself has the character of cultural diversity. In addition, the effect of foreign culture to China has been for a long time, Chinese cultural constitution is much more complicated. Generally speaking, have a right reorganization of the customers’ perception differences between China and UK will be beneficial to British luxury brands enter Chinese market. Since there is a wealth gap between inland and eastern region in china, and the latter has a stronger economic strength, it will be the major luxury goods market (Schmitt, 1997). Therefore, this research will be conducted at several main cities in eastern China and costal areas, they are Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, separately. In UK, we will launch the survey at five cities in England, they are London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield. The informants who are selected should match several conditions, for instance, on the one hand, the respondents’ minimum annual income should above 40,000GBP/400,000CNY. They should be 35 years old to 40 years old, on the other hand. In this proposal, I will apply the method of combining qualitative research and quantitative research. Before quantitative research, I have to know luxury market situation in these two countries and relevant theories and fundamental conception about  cultural diversity in segmentation, demographic segmentation and so on. First of all, I should collect and analyse existing relevant document and data, it mainly consist of micro-economic environment, industrial policy and social environment. To be specific, first, micro-economic environment includes several sections such as the operation of national economy (GDP), households’ incomes and Engel coefficient. Secondly, the policy of luxury industry has a direct effect on the ease or complexity of luxury market entry. Therefore, I should analyse industrial policies, the situation of market regulation and the last part, the systems of customs and tax. Thirdly, social environment is influenced by regional culture, thus, cultural context analysis is critical. Moreover, the analyses of demographic environment, education environment and consuming concept are integral parts, too. Then, as qualitative research method has clarified the research question, quantitative research will be carried out by 1000 copies of questionnaires, both China and UK have 500 copies of questionnaires each, and every city share 100 copies of questionnaires. The questionnaire will be launched in the form of network, which is efficient, convenient and low-cost. By comparing these two countries’ customers’ perception degree of luxury goods and other aspects such as their education level, the purpose of purchase and customers’ preferable buying channel, we may find that the Chinese consumers’ consuming behavior of luxury have some more significant characteristics than British customers’. To be precise, a lot of Chinese customers buy luxury goods may have three reasons basically. The first reason is flaunting their rich. They want to show their sense of identity and social status by wearing luxury clothes, bags and shoes. The second reason is following the crowd. Due to various factors, for example, literacy level, most Chinese consumers have low cognitive degree of luxury goods and low sensitive to fashion trend. They always buy luxury blindly and without thinking independently about how to mach clothes, colours and choose accessories appropriately. The third reason is characteristic consumption. Luxury clothing brand usually have unique brand concept and distinctive brand image. Beside, luxury clothing brand has excellent design and high quality, so it can show amazing tastes of wearers. Furthermore, as its high price positioning, luxury clothing brand has less awkward situation of  outfits clash. All in all, after the research, we will have a clear understanding of the different attitudes to luxury clothing brands of consumers in China and UK. Due to this, British luxury clothing brands can know target market well and regard this as reference when they formulate marketing strategies. 2. Literature review In recent 20 years, global luxury markets are getting more considerable, because of this, luxury brands have drawn a lot of researchers’ attention (Atsmon et al., 2011). In this section, there are several parts as below. The first part is general backgrounds. The second part is a review of theories on segmentation and motivation. The third part reviews those documents which from different perspectives to compare consumers’ different attitudes to luxury brands in China and UK and conclusion at last. 2.1 General backgrounds Along with the gradual development of luxury markets these years, a mass of luxury brands are growing rapidly and have a share in markets. They have established corporate image and brand conception in the public. This can be clearly illustrated in a research which was conducted by Verdict Research (2007), as the largest and most mature luxury market, Europe would experience a growth of $ 62bn from 2007($ 101bn) to 2012($163bn). Followed by America–the second largest luxury market would be replaced by Asia Pacific region (exclude Japanese luxury market) in 2012. What is more, Asia Pacific area would be the luxury market which developing the fastest, and the Middle East would come the next. Before study the luxury market, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of luxury concept. In accordance with Phau and Prendergast (2000), luxury should be unique, outstanding, magical, and sensual. A more simple description of luxury was put forward by Mandhachitara and Lockshin (2004) that luxury stood for high price. While Danziger (2005) argued that luxury was ‘from class to mass’, which meant that the luxury goods would finally be popular and of civilian, though it  used to be high-class. In a nut shell, it is important for companies to understand luxury concept and luxury market properly, and then they can find out the critical factors which will affect customers consuming behaviour of luxury goods. 2.2 Theories on segmentation and motives First of all, the theoretical backgrounds of market segmentation. In contemporary market, Wedel and Kamakura (2000) argued that due to the diversity of consumer needs and the complication of marketing techniques, the mass marketing method can’t be applied in many market situations. According to Dibb and Simkin (1996), market segmentation could help marketers to cope with kinds of customer needs in a resource-efficient way. In accordance with Lindridge and Dibb (2002), the ultimate principle of market segmentation theory was that the discrimination of product needs and consuming behaviour could benefit from the possibility of ‘customers can be grouped using variables’. Second, the concept of market segmentation. Second, the original definition of market segmentation was put forward by Smith (1956), he argued that ‘a condition of growth when core markets have already been developed on a generalised basis to the point where additional promotional expenditures a re yielding diminishing returns’. In line with Kotler and Armstrong (1980, p291-306), market segmentation variables could be divided into four crucial fields—geographic segmentation, demographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation and behavioural segmentation. According to Beane and Ennis (1987), geographic segmentation referred to factors such as area, population density and climate. Besides, customer demands and requirements solutions would be different as a market was divided up geographically. Demographic segmentation included basic variables like ‘age, sex, size and type of family, income educational level, race and nationality’ (Beane and Ennis, 1987). In addition, Demographic segmentation could be applied excellently as the segments were obvious. Third, the motive of consumer purchasing. In accordance with Leibenstein (1950), there were basically three kinds of motivations—mass psychology, uniqueness and exclusiveness. To be more exact, first of all, mass psychology means people who want to realize social value by trying to get the recognition of other  people in the group they belong. Next, uniqueness means that individuals in groups want to be particular and outstanding, and can be easily discriminated from the crowds. In other words, everyone wants to be a Triton of the minnows. Finally, exclusiveness can be explained as people who like to flaunt their wealth, highlight the status and identity through wearing luxury clothing, bag and so on. What is more, based on previous studies conducted by other researchers, Vigneron and Johnson (1999) considered that consumer purchase motivations could be distributed to five parts—mass psychology, uniqueness, exclusiveness, hedonism and perfectionism. Hedonic consumption is about the whole experiences in purchasing goods. Perfectionism is considered to have kinds of dimensions fundamentally. Additionally, Danziger (2005) carried out a luxury survey in American wealthy classes and labeled the consumers into four groups—‘the iconoclastic butterflies, the indulgent X-fluent (extreme affluent), the luxury cocooners and the luxury aspirers’. 2.3 Current researches about the similar topic of the proposal As cultural difference has an impact on the way of purchased merchandise and how much money a consumer spend (Thomson and Cutler, 1997), the consumers’ purchasing behavior appears to vary from country to country. According to Schmitt (1997), he carried out a consumer behaviour survey in China which was based on demographic segmentation. The author considered age and sex as variables, divided the samples into four segments, namely, two female groups consist of women aged 19 to 25 and aged 30 to 45; two male groups consist of the same two ages as women’s. He found that in older groups, women tend to products’ ‘value and convenience’, while men bought goods they need or the requirements of family members. On the contrary, young females among young people had a poor concept with money, they advocate brands and over-spent. Besides, they are easily effected buy some fashion movies. Another similar survey was launched by subsidiaries of Louis Harris in 2005 (Schmitt, 1997), three variables of demographic segmentation—income, educational level and occupation were considered. What is more, Hauck and Stanforth (2007) considered that the most potential consumers of luxury market in China would be those who were born in 1980s, and there might have 300 million rich men  among them. Thus, the main force of luxury goods consumption should be at the age of 20 to 40 years old in China. However, the mainly consumers of luxury goods in UK were older than those in China, they were aged from 40 to 70years old. Beside, as young consumers, especially those who are rich and well-educated, tend to accept new goods more easily than older customers (Schmitt, 1997), Chinese consumers of luxury goods are more willing to try new products than British consumers relatively. 2.4 Conclusion The cultural diversity will affect consumer’s different consuming behaviour, perception of luxury and so on (Park, Reisinger, 2009). As a large luxury market, China has attracted more foreign investiments as well as some British luxury brands. Theories of segmentation, motivation and consuming behavior are relevant to culture. It is important for British luxury brand to have a clear understanding of Chinese market and form feasible marketing strategies. However, there are several shortcomings in some existing studies. First, a majority of current researches lack of data support. Second, though some studies have collected relevant data, the data is not reliable and scientific. Because luxury market survey needs a huge amount of data collection and its scale is large, most studies do not have enough data proving. This research aims to collect primary data by questionnaires and then analyse the differences of customer’s consuming behaviour between China and UK. Finally, a further theoretical study can be constituted. 3. Methodology and Feasibility This section is divided into three parts. The first part is the introduction to the methodologies which is applied in this proposal. The second part relates to research procedure, description of sample and data collection. The last part is about proposal feasibility analysis. 3.1 Methodology In this study, I combine qualitative research method with quantitative  research method to collect second-hand sources and first-hand data. First of all, qualitative research. It derives from the social science, tend to study problems, recognize kinds of social phenomenon, analyse people’s behaviour and then give answers to those questions (Sandelowski, 1986). It is a way to definite an issue and address it. According to Shank (2002, P5), qualitative research is ‘a form of systematic empirical inquiry into meaning’. Moreover, quantitative research can identify intangible factors clearly, for example, social norms, gender roles and so on Sandelowski (1986). In line with Mays and Pope (1995), the methods of qualitative research include focus group, in-depth interviews, Delphi technique, direct observation, case study, etc. In addition, there are three ways to generate data—individual interviews, group interviews and contextual data. Contextual data mainly consist of observations, reports and other written data and oral data. I apply the literature research method, namely, literature review, to set up framework of theories. As a result, I can have a clear structure of the research and better understanding of relevant theories. Secondly, quantitative research. It can be described as a procedure about collecting valid data and analyzing valid numerical data scientifically. Then, we can get generalisable conclusions (Pekrun, et al., 2002). According to Luborsky, etc. (1971), quantitative research is suitable for survey about comparing two groups, thus, we can use it in the research. as the samples are large in the research, questionnaires should be a good method to collect original data which belongs to quantitative research method. Since I do the questionnaire survey on the internet, there is no time-and-space restriction. 3.2 Research design and data collection methods There are mainly two data collection methods used in this research—statistical data (secondary data) and questionnaire. Reviewing previous findings by others are a low-cost way to information and get an entire understanding of the research field we work in. Questionnaire is a convenient and efficient way to get raw data from markets, as I undertake it via internet, the costs are low. Next, I will explain how these two methods  are applied in the research. As the research needs to compare the consumers’ attitudes to luxury in China and UK, the size of samples and the scope of survey are large. Before structure a questionnaire to collect first-hand data from potential target customers, we have to know what the problem is, what intangible influencing factors are and so on. Therefore, we need to look up and quote amounts of secondary materials from websites, books, journals and authoritative organizations. These academic data should relevant to existing correlation theories, luxury market environment both in China and UK which involves policies like tax and customs, income level, current purchasing channels, etc. It would be a strong support for further survey after the data are classified into categories. The questionnaires can be constructed on the base of previous qualitative research I mentioned above. All the questions in questionnaire are based on two themes—the motivation of consumers’ luxury consuming, the pattern of consumers’ luxury consuming. In order to carry out the questionnaires, we follow the method of quota sampling to select samples by several variables as below: age: 35—40 years old income: above 40,000GBP/400,000CNY region: china—Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen; UK—London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield After the sample selection, we can conduct a hundred pieces of questionnaires in those cities separatelyï ¼Å'one thousand pieces in total. After getting the questionnaire feedbacks, the data need to be summarized and then, analysed by the software SPSS. 3.3 Feasibility Study First, in terms of schedule, this research process consist of 12 sections which clearly be illustrated in table 1. In order to complete the whole research, I will take 4months long to run it. In terms of time arrangement,  in particular, I set aside one week in case some of the twelve sections may not be finished on time. Besides, I will use the payback method in online questionnaire survey. Thus, respondents’ feedback can be collect in a short time. Second, financial feasibility analysis. As I mentioned above, I will carry on a paid survey. To be specific, in UK, I will pay 1pound per questionnaire on the website ‘surveycompare’. In China, I will conduct the survey on the website ‘opinionworld’ and pay 0.6 pound each. All in all, the general expenditure is 800 pound. Third, in terms of universal scope, as the 1000 respondents are selected from 10 cities in China and UK, the field of investigation is wide and the samples are dispersive. However, we do questionnaire survey online which is not limited by region. General speaking, as China is the largest luxury market in Asia and going to be the core market in the whole world (Verdict Research, 2007), it is high time that British luxury brands developed Chinese luxury market. As analysed feasibility in schedule, expenditure and universal scope above, the research is worth being taken into practice. 4. Timetable This research project will last four months long to carry out a serious of activities. I build up a table as below to explain the research time schedule. Table 1: time schedule for the research As the table shows, there is a week time left before report submission, it is in order to avoid any previous sections running out of time. List of References Journal articals: Beane, T. P. & Ennis, D. M. (1987) Market Segmentation: A Review European Journal of Marketing 21 (5), 20 – 42. Hauck, W. & Stanforth, N. (2007) Cohort Perception of Luxury Goods and Services Journal of Fashion Marketing & Management 11 (2), 175-188. Leibenstein, H. (1950) Bandwagon, Snob, and Veblen Effects in the Theory of Consumers Demand The Quarterly Journal of Economics 2 (64), 183-207. Luborsky, L. et al (1971) Factors influencing the outcome of psychotherapy: A review of quantitative research Psychological Bulletin 75 (3), 145-185. Lindridge, A. & Dibb, S. (2003) Is ‘culture’ a justifiable variable for market segmentation? A cross-cultural example Journal of Consumer Behaviour 2 (3), 269–286. Mays, N. & Pope, C. (1995) Rigour and qualitative research British Medical Journal 311 (6997), 109-12. Mandhachitara, R. & Lockshin, L. (2004) Fast moving luxury goods: Positioning strategies for Scotch whisky in Thai department stores International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management 32 (6), 312-319. Park, S. & Reisinger, Y. (2009) Cultural differences in shopping for luxury goods: Western, Asian, and Hispanic tourists Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 26 (8), 762–777. Phau, I. & Prendergast, G. (2000) Consuming luxury brands: The relevance of the ‘‘Rarity Principle’’ Journal of Brand Management 8 (2), 122-138. Smith, W. R. (1956) ‘Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies’ Journal of Marketing July, 21 (1), 3–8. Sandelowski, M. (1986) The problem of rigor in qualitative research Advances in Nursing Science 8 (3), 27-37. Schmitt, B. (1997) who is the Chinese Consumer? Segmentations in People’s Republic of China European Management Journal 15 (2), 191-194. Thomson, C., & Cutler, E. (1997). The effect of nationality on tourist arts: The case of the Gambia, West Africa International Journal of Hospitality Management 16 (2), 225-229. E-journal: Pekrun, R. et al (2002) Academic Emotions in Students’ Self-Regulated Learning and Achievement: A Program of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Educational Psychologist [online] 37 (2): 91-105. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1207/S15326985EP3702_4#tabModule [Accessed 3rd January 2013] Sandelowski, M. 2000 Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis Techniques in Mixed-Method Studies Research in Nursing & Health [online] 23 (3), 246–255. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1098-240X(200006)23:3%3C246::AID-NUR9%3E3.0.CO;2-H/abstract [Accessed 2nd January 2013] Vigneron, F. & Johnson, L. W. (1999). A review and a conceptual framework of prestige†seeking consumer behavior Academy of Marketing Science Review [online] 1999 (1). Available from: http://www.amsreview.org/articles/vigneron01-1999.pdf [Accessed 2nd January 2013] Book: Danziger, P. N. (2005) Let them Eat the Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses as Well as the Classes Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing 1åˆ °8é ¡ µ Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (1980) Principles of Marketing 13th ed. London: Pearson Dibb, S. and Simkin, L. (1996) The Market Segmentation Workbook, International Thomson Press, London, UK Wedel, M. & Kamakura, A. W. (2000) Market Segmentation: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations 2nd ed. Boston: Kluwer Academic Website: Atsmon, Y. et al (2011). McKinsey & Company [online] Understanding China’s growing love for luxury. Retrieved 14 June Website: Available from: http://csi.mckinsey.com/Knowledge_by_region/Asia/China/chinaluxury2011.aspx [Accessed 1st January 2013] Bain study (2011) INSIGHT [online] Bain & Company. Available from: http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/2011-china-luxury-market-study.aspx [Accessed 1st January 2013] Verdict Research (2007) Business Insight [online] United Kindom. Available from: http://www.verdict.co.uk/Marketing/dmvt0388m.pdf[Accessed 1st January 2013]