Essay on Plato - 1631 Words

Plato The first degree of belief are physical objects, as the second degree of belief are shadows and images of the physical objects. In the last book, Plato criticizes poetry and the fine arts. Plato feels that art is merely the imitation of the imitation of reality, and that poetry corrupts the soul. Socrates says that artists merely create things. As an example, if a painter draws a couch on his canvas, he is creating a couch. But the couch he creates is not the real couch, it is nothing but a copy of an ordinary, physical couch which was created by a craftsman. But the ordinary, physical couch is nothing more than an imperfect copy, or image of the Form of Couch. So, the couch on the canvas is nothing but a copy of a copy of the†¦show more content†¦The Republic was Platos ways of expressing his Theory of Forms and Justice. The main idea perhaps is to make people understand that there can be no justice within a society whose people are not just within themselves. There needs t o be an internal justice, within the people, and within each person, in order to bring peace to the society. From reading the Republic, I realized that some issues he mentions are very clear, and some are not clear since I live in a different society and time. Plato does not describe his ideal society in great detail since he is considered with the ideal idea itself, and it is hard for me as a materialist to understand without seeing. One thing that is clear is that Plato tries to defend his theory all along and lets us, the unknowledged, experience a glimpse of the good. Platos belief seemed that life was to involve a movement upward toward the good, as this was a movement of the Soul. Morality in the republic The theme of The Republic is very complicated in some ways; it is a manual of sorts, which demonstrates how society can achieve virtue. In the beginning of the Republic, we are introduced to the fundamental question of the rest of the text, whether it is more beneficial to live justly (moral) or unjustly (immoral). It is also important to note that The Republic is not arguing which is better, but rather which is more beneficial, whether the just or unjust life will make one happier. IShow MoreRelatedPlato And Plato s Republic1119 Words   |  5 PagesThe ancient Greek Philosopher Plato had an interest in finding the ideal government. In Plato’s Republic, he discusses his ideas and views of how this ideal government would function. He believed that people are born into 3 different classes, with different responsibilities (Plato 415a). Only people in the â€Å"golden† class were fit to rule. The most effective of these rulers would be philosophers, as they have knowledge of the good of the whole (Plato 473d). This system seems too perfect for me. IRead MorePlato967 Words   |  4 Pageswould wish the best for a friend regardless of the friend’s usefulness to them or what pleasure he could attain. Having been raised to strive to attain these virtues, the need for a reason to do so becomes pointless. Another difference is that Plato believes that the best type of good is one that is desirable both in itself and for the sake of its results, while Aristotle says that if X is desired because it brings you to Y, then Y is ultimately better than X. Therefore, the highest good is oneRead MorePlato And Plato s The Apology1623 Words   |  7 Pagesmore interested in determining how the world worked and its origins/cosmology, as oppose to philosophers such as Plato And Socrates who focused more on ethics or morality. Plato’s conception of God and religion can be depicted in his literatures â€Å"Euthyphro† and â€Å"The Apology† which he expresses through his writings of Socrates in dialogue formation. While one may assume that both Plato and Socrates shared analogous notions of God and religion it is impossible to truly know given the Socratic problemRead MoreThe Republic By Plato Vs. Plato1299 Words   |  6 PagesThe Republic by Plato is an vision of an utopian society established through the character of Socrates. Many aspects of Plato’s society appears utopian; however, it can also be viewed dystopian as it is mere subjectiveness. Many of Plato’s arguments apply to current day society; for example, Donald Trump’s rise to power depicts democracy degenerating to despotism. Plato’s Republic is utopian in idealistic terms because the most qualified individual is in charge of society who is able to extend hisRead MoreComparison Between Plato And Plato1101 Words   |  5 Pagesmorality is, how to create justice inside and outside society, the state of nature, equality, and the state of war. They distinguish how the people and government help create a well-oiled society. Comparing Plato to Rousseau, the beginning of philosophy to a more modern perspective. In Crito by Plato, Socrates continues a speech of the Laws of Athens by appealing to a social contract that exists between the Laws and the citizens. By living in Athens, one must abide by the Laws of Athens. Since SocratesRead MorePlato1819 Words   |  8 Pageswinner of the North Award for the best paper in the 2012 Agora. Ben presented an earlier version of this paper at the ACTC Student Conference at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, in March, 2011.) When reading the Apology and the Crito of Plato, one inevitably comes upon a seeming fundamental contradiction between the two dialogues. The Apology presents readers with a defiant Socrates who declares in his trial that, if acquitted on the condition that he never philosophize again, he wouldRead MorePlato s Symposium, By Plato1273 Words   |  6 PagesIn the book,† Plato’s Symposium,† by Plato, who was a philosopher in Greece, he illustrates the dialectic discussion at a party at Agathon’s to celebrate his triumph of his first tragedy. In the Symposium; the guests Phaedrus, an Athenian aristocrat; Pausanias, the legal expert; Eryximachus, a physician; Aristophanes, eminent comic playwright; Agathon ,a tragic poet and host of the banquet; Socrates, eminent philosopher and Plato s teacher; and Alcibiades, a prominent Athenian statesman, oratorRead MorePlato Vs. Rhetoric : Plato And Rhetoric2524 Words   |  11 PagesPlato and Rhetoric Plato is one of the greatest philosophers in history. Often his words and sayings resonate to this day. But, considering all what Plato has done, what is most peculiar about him is his condemnation of poets and sophists. Plato is in a constant fight to see that the way of true philosophy replaces these false arts. But even much more interesting is that Plato goes even further, and condemns the use of rhetoric, the art of persuasion, as a whole. He not only does this adamantlyRead MoreEssay on Plato1158 Words   |  5 PagesPlato: The Life of Plato Plato was born around 427 BC, in Athens Greece to rich and politically involved family. Platos parents spared no expense in educating him; he was taught at the finest schools. He was taught by Socrates and defended Socrates when he was on trial. Plato traveled to Italy and may have even visited Egypt before founding The Academy. Plato also visited Sicily and instructed a young king there before returning to The Academy to teach for twenty years before his death in 347Read MorePlato Vs Aristotle Vs Plato1814 Words   |  8 PagesPlato and Aristotle had a considerable amount of differences in ideology given that Aristotle was Plato’s student for roughly two decades. Plato, a student of Socrates, opposed the idea of average citizens to participate in politics because he believed that political practice was skill or â€Å"technÄ“ that can only be achieved by a few people. He believed that â€Å"kings must be those among them who have proved best both in philosophy and where war is concerned.† (Republic, 491) and that these â€Å"philosopher

Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld Essay

Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld Museum Essay Camille Corot was a naturalistic painter and a printmaker etching. He was born in Paris, France and lived in the lower class. He later on received a scholarship, but had difficulties on the scholastic process which made him decide to go to boarding school. At the age of twenty one he created his very first studio in the third floor of his parent’s house. Five years later he started taking landscaping classes; after time passed he started to take it more serious and out of boredom he started to make oil paintings. With his parents support he followed a well-established of French painters who went to Italy to study the Italian renaissance and to draw the monuments. Camille Corot†¦show more content†¦He extended his arms to grab her but was unsuccessful and in an instant she was gone, all he heard was the words â€Å"Farewell†. There is a sad mood to this painting because of the tragic event that it ended with but in order to feel this mood the viewer must have a t least some knowledge of this myth. Without any knowledge the viewer will just look at it as a simple painting of a couple walking away from something. In a distance you can see five persons standing across what looks to be a river because of the reflection on the water, as viewed the trees also get smaller and smaller indicating that they are getting farther and farther away, but as things are closer the objects get bigger telling that this object is closer. The color used in this painting is what looks to be cool colors such as the darkish green used in the plants and the blue in the background; this gives us a serious and somewhat depressing mood because there are no light colors that give us that happy feeling. This image is romantic in a way because Orpheus came to the underworld for someone he has strong feelings for and also because she is his wife, this gives it a romantic feeling. It is sort of like the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet who ends with the death of the woman, butShow MoreRelatedWhat Is The Theme Of Orpheus And Prejudice1123 Words   |  5 PagesOrpheus and Eurydice The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tragic love story between two newlyweds, where they would live out their marriage with one being in the underworld with Hades and the other on Earth living in sorrow. Orpheus was a Greek poet and considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time; on the day of their wedding Orpheus sang as Eurydice ran through a meadow listening to her husband’s beautiful song. The day that was meant to be the beginning of a wonderful lifeRead More black orpheus Essay1032 Words   |  5 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Love and Death in Black Orpheus nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In fiction or reality being overly ambitious can cause one to yield to the evils of temptations. In Black Orpheus the myth fits into the story because it demonstrates the extremes an individual will endure to regain lost love, and relive the past. In the movie Orpheus and Eurydice both experience a case of â€Å"love at first at first sight†. They barely know each other butRead MoreOvids Metamorphoses : The Theme Of Change And Mythology In Ancient Greek Mythology1582 Words   |  7 Pagesinteractions. The main theme in this epic is the theme of change and transformation, which is the center of most of the myths that are told in the epic. One myth that is significant is of the death of Orpheus. This myth portrayed interactions between a god and humans. The myth of the death of Orpheus showed that humans can be loved by the gods and harming them leads to punishment. By understanding how the gods make their decisions by looking at this one myth, the Roma ns will trust the gods more. CommonlyRead MoreExploring The Roots Of The Recurring Subjects And Symbols Throughout The Funerary Paintings Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesthousands of bodies from families rich and poor, and extended for over seventeen kilometers in four distinct subterranean levels. In terms of style, most of the works are indistinguishable from Roman paintings. If anything, the art style is a more rushed and cramped version of illusionistic Roman wall painting. The use of iconography is what really sets the wall paintings apart as having a distinctly Christian identity. One of the most important ways early Christians borrowed from the Greco-Roman world

Social and Emotional Development free essay sample

Searching for reasons why development may not follow the expected pattern, I can highlight the emotional influence first. It might affect expected pattern of development significantly. Unsettled child would not built relationship with the adults, and they are more likely to have low self-esteem and less likely to try new activities that will benefit the developmental progress.Children’s disabilities and conditions is other reason. Disabilities and conditions will impact to varying extents on children’s learning and development, but they effect development in a different way. For example, some children may have communication and interaction as an area of need, because they are not fully hearing. Hearing loss can affect a child’s enjoyment of activity and ability to play with other children. If a child has delays or difficulties with their growth, their physical development can be affected too.External influence can effect on the way how a child develops. We will write a custom essay sample on Social and Emotional Development or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, single parents may not have time and energy to engage and challenge their children to try new things. Or, because of poverty, parents cannot provide opportunities for children to go on music or ballet.Different cultural beliefs are important as well. For instance, some children in many cultures are treated differently because of their gender. Girls are not given opportunities to attend schools or they are taken from school at certain age helping with housework or looking after small siblings.Family lifestyle and structure influence children’s development as well. Home schooling children don’t have many opportunities for social interaction with children their own age, which could result in social delay.Every child, attending early years setting, will be assigned with a key worker who is observing child’s development, recognize child’s progress, understand their needs and interests, plan activities and support. This observation and assessment can highlights where there may be difficulties or delays with particular areas of development. When delay in child’s development is suspected, it is essential to identify appropriate support needs early to reduce the impact that the delay may have on the chi ld. High quality early intervention can change a child’s development trajectory and improve outcomes for children. Early intervention support and resources maximize the child’s abilities.

Kimberly Clark Case free essay sample

Restructuring, as constant restructuring develops a negative impact on shareholders. Study of external and internal environment, considering all possible factors will make it easier to implement Global Business Policy and avoid its failure. Kimberly Clark should maximize their knowledge from experienced Scott managers as this will help in understanding the local market. It also allows the company to understand the organisation work culture and vivid methods of operation from Scott. Kimberly Clark did not have proper knowledge of Scott inventory and the impact of extreme downsizing of the organisation. This hindered them to solve the emerging problem quickly. History Kimberly Clark and company was founded in Neenah, Wisconsin in 1872, in a partnership between John A. Kimberly, Charles B. Clark, Frank . C. Shattuck and Havilah Babcock. The company was initially launched their business as paper mills. Further through various mergers, acquisition and innovation they have become one of the leading brands in paper based products, all over the world (Thomson Corporation, 1997). We will write a custom essay sample on Kimberly Clark Case or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The company has established its position by the development of new marketing programmes and technological advances (Glowacki, 1995). They have worked through, to become one of the 100 best companies in USA by focussing on health, hygiene and well being of the consumer introducing popular brands like Kleenex, Scott, huggies, pull ups and kotex(Kimberly clark , 2003). Global Expansion In order to incorporate the Global Expansion Strategy, Kimberly Clark decided to have a merger with Europes leading brand company Scott Corporation. This merger had a positive impact on Kimberly Clark as it lead the company to increase its market share in the consumer market, as well as it gave the company a great product mix ProQuest Information and Learning Company, 1995). This merger allowed expense reduction, along with operational synergies in the company and brought high end products as well as low end alternatives eliminating mid range segment. It strengthened Kimberly Clark Corporations position in the European market, by holding almost 58% of the Market share in Europe (Collins, 1995). Organisation Environments External Environment Political and Legal The merger between Kimberly Clark and Scott became a major legal and political issue in the market as Kimberly Clark had a control of 58% of the market share. This merged as a domestic antitrust problem in the consumer mind in Europe (Collins, 1995). The direct target competition among them was bringing the consumers a lower price and also benefits from frequent promotions, couponing and other marketing strategies (United States District Court Northern District of Texas Dallas Division, 1995). Due to the reasons mentioned above, there was increased political pressure on Kimberly Clark which lead them to sell SCA (Kleenex plant in Britan). This plant used to help thier tissue brand Kleenex to be more improved and advanced. Later, SCA began competing with Kimberly Clark leading to a fall in the hare of Kimberly Clark by about 3% and gain in the share of SCA by 6% (Forest Dawley, 1998). Economical The merger between Scott and Kimberly Clark brought Kimberly Clark a major restructuring cost falling in between $675 million and $775 million. This cost pressurized Kimberly Clark to shut down 20 plants and also reduce their work-force by 10%, keeping the organisation cost down( Decision News Media SAS, 2005). During this period, the price of all their products fell by 2 percent. This cost difference ultimately started reflecting on the price of the products for the customers in US and Europe. As a result, the company faced a 17 percent fall in fourth quarter of their net income (Pitman, 2006). It was a result of Kimberly Clarks poor planning and prediction about the positive outcomes in global growth and operational synergies, neglecting high cost involvement. Further increases in operating cost lead to repetitive restructuring of the organisation to achieve efficient cost structure (Forest Dawley, 1998). Technological The merger between Kimberly Clark and Scott strengthened the distribution channel for both the companies and their operating margins. It helped Kimberly Clark to put side the expenditure on building up an International business as well as they could increase the manufacturing efficiency of the company.

What Is Wrong With The Idea Of Everyone Being Equal Term Paper

What Is Wrong With The Idea Of Everyone Being Equal Term Paper What Is Wrong With The Idea Of Everyone Being Equal – Term Paper Example & Number: Everyone Being Equal (Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr 14 December (estimated word count = 322)The idea of being equal is a pipe dream because not all persons are alike in terms of their abilities, uniqueness, personalities, capabilities, attitudes and behaviors. It is an idea that would have suited well in a democratic society but everyone knows this is quite hard to accept and an impossibility. It is desired for all beings to be equal in order to be fair but this is simply not possible because of human nature. In other words, creativity and talent will be lost. Additionally, individual initiative and identity would likewise be gone forever. Creativity and talent would not be maximized and advancement of society would be stunted. In the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. everyone is dumbed down by a secret government to the level of being morons. This kind of society suits the head of that secretive government because no one presents a threat to its existence. The idea of the equal society is brought to the extreme in which anybody who is more intelligent than others are forced to have a physical handicap so the more intelligent people would not have an unfair advantage over less intelligent persons (Farrell 183). This is just science fiction of course, but the idea of everyone being equal has always been a dream by those who aspire for a Utopian society but in this story, equality had backfired with disastrous consequences. It is an American ideal â€Å"where all men are created equal† but this can have serious but sometimes comical and unintended consequences. Everyone is leveled to mediocrity as it is a sin to be talented and intellectually superior. Human progress is virtually impossible. It is also a universal concern that governments can and tend to be oppressive (Thomas 162). Ideas like everyone should be equal is absurd and should be abandoned with alacrity. Kurts works often combined social satire and science fiction to impart an ironic lesson (Buckley 1).Buckley, Christopher. â€Å"How It Went.† The New York Times. 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. Farrell, Susan Elizabeth. Critical Companion to Kurt Vonnegut: A Literary Reference to his Life and Work. New York, NY, USA: Infobase Publishing, 2008. Print.Thomas, Paul Lee. Reading, Learning, Teaching Kurt Vonnegut. New York, NY, USA: Peter Lang Academic Publishing Group, 2006. Print.

Famous Flash Fiction

Famous Flash Fiction Over the past few decades, flash fiction, micro-fiction, and other super-short short stories have grown in popularity. Entire journals such as Nano Fiction and Flash Fiction Online are devoted to flash fiction and related forms of writing, while contests administrated by Gulf Coast, Salt Publishing, and The Kenyon Review cater to flash fiction authors. But flash fiction also has a long and respectable history. Even before the term â€Å"flash fiction† came into common usage in the late 20th century, major writers in France, America, and Japan were experimenting with prose forms that put special emphasis on brevity and concision.   Charles Baudelaire (French, 1821-1869) In the 19th century, Baudelaire pioneered a new type of short-form writing called â€Å"prose poetry.† Prose poetry was Baudelaire’s method for capturing the nuances of psychology and experience in short bursts of description. As Baudelaire puts it in the introduction to his famous collection of prose poetry, Paris Spleen (1869): â€Å"Who has not, in bouts of ambition, dreamt this miracle, a poetic prose, musical without rhythm or rhyme, supple and choppy enough to accommodate the lyrical movement of the soul, the undulations of reverie, the bump and lurch of consciousness?† The prose poem became a favorite form of French experimental writers, such as Arthur Rimbaud and Francis Ponge. But Baudelaire’s emphasis on turns of thought and twists of observation also paved the way for the â€Å"slice of life† flash fiction that can be found in many present-day magazines. Ernest Hemingway (American, 1899-1961) Hemingway is well-known for novels of heroism and adventure such as For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea- but also for his radical experiments in super-short fiction. One of the most famous works attributed to Hemingway is a six-word short story: â€Å"For sale: baby shoes, never worn.† Hemingway’s authorship of this miniature story has been called into question, but he did create several other works of extremely short fiction, such as the sketches that appear throughout his short story collection In Our Time. And Hemingway also offered a defense of radically concise fiction: â€Å"If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them.† Yasunari Kawabata (Japanese, 1899-1972) As an author steeped in the economical yet expressive art and literature of his native Japan, Kawabata was interested in creating small texts that are great in expression and suggestion. Among Kawabata’s greatest accomplishments are the â€Å"palm-of-the-hand† stories, fictional episodes and incidents that last two or three pages at most. Topic-wise, the range of these miniature stories is remarkable, covering everything from intricate romances (â€Å"Canaries†) to morbid fantasies (â€Å"Love Suicides†) to childhood visions of adventure and escape (â€Å"Up in the Tree†). And Kawabata didn’t hesitate to apply the principles behind his â€Å"palm-of-the-hand† stories to his longer writings. Near the end of his life, he crafted a revised and much-shortened version of one of his celebrated novels, Snow Country. Donald Barthelme (American, 1931-1989) Barthelme is one of the American writers most responsible for the state of contemporary flash fiction. For Barthelme, fiction was a means of igniting debate and speculation: â€Å"I believe that my every sentence trembles with morality in that each attempts to engage the problematic rather than to present a proposition to which all reasonable men must agree.† Although these standards for indeterminate, thought-provoking short fiction have guided short fiction in the late 20th and early 21st century, Barthelme’s exact style is difficult to imitate with success. In stories such as â€Å"The Balloon†, Barthelme offered meditations on strange events- and little in the way of traditional plot, conflict, and resolution. Lydia Davis (American, 1947-present) A recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, Davis has won recognition both for her translations of classic French authors and for her many works of flash fiction. In stories such as â€Å"A Man from Her Past†, â€Å"Enlightened†, and â€Å"Story†, Davis portrays states of anxiety and disturbance. She shares this special interest in uneasy characters with some of the novelists she has translated- such as Gustave Flaubert and Marcel Proust. Like Flaubert and Proust, Davis has been hailed for her breadth of vision and for her ability to pack a wealth of meaning into carefully-chosen observations. According to literary critic James Wood, â€Å"one can read a large portion of Davis’s work, and a grand cumulative achievement comes into view- a body of work probably unique in American writing, in its combination of lucidity, aphoristic brevity, formal originality, sly comedy, metaphysical bleakness, philosophical pressure, and human wisdom.†

Ethical Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Decision Making - Essay Example Wayman reported in 2011 that in order to combat accounting fraud, US Congress enacted financial reform through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), which held entities more accountable for their bookkeeping methodologies by requiring senior management to attest to the accuracy of the data provided on the financial statements, as well as mandate companies to establish internal systems of checks and balances to police those crunching the numbers. The legislation lent more credibility and respect for the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) by reinforcing them as law rather than mere ethical guidelines. GAAP is used to create parameters for corporate accountants and auditors when keeping records of transactions and balancing budgets. The rules place emphasis on revenue sources, itemized balance sheets, and numbers of outstanding shares. It is designed to create absolute transparency for investors and restore confidence in companies’ financial statements.

Small Wins Steps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small Wins Steps - Essay Example Achievement of gender equality in the workplace is largely dependent on the corporate strategies. However, adopting approaches that base on gender equality is a major problem for organizations. In the work place, gender inequality mainly affects women. Long ago, women were victimized in the job market, and their entry was highly restrictive. Although this situation has been alleviated by policy changes in companies and at the national level, there still exist cases of gender inequality, which to a higher extent are embedded in the organizational cultures and are hard to detect (Meyerson and Fletcher 127). In the small wins strategy, the identification of gender inequality problem is crucial in the rectification process. Failure to identify a problem will lead to its persistence. As a leader, I realize there is a gender inequality situation that needs to be addressed. The second step is to diagnose the gender inequality problem. Here, a company establishes the specific gender inequality problem, whether it lies in salary remuneration differences, or bias in managerial positions. As a new leader, I realize that the face of gender inequality in my company is manifest salary remuneration. Women are paid less as compared to men. Third is patterns and consequences identification of gender inequality aspect. Here, we establish the organizational culture, and how it promotes gender discrimination. The final step is experimentation. Managers take the initiative of replacing company practices, which promote gender inequality, with better ones. This is through talks with the company employees to brainstorm possible solutions (Meyerson and Fletcher 133-134). Additionally, I would consider the impacts of external environment on company policymaking. These include institutional framework, external labor market, and relations with other companies. This closely fits in Meyerson and

International Accounting Standards Essay Example for Free

International Accounting Standards Essay †¢In your opinion, how would the AICPA adoption of International Accounting Standards potentially affect how American companies value inventory? Explain. †¢Why does the federal government allow for accelerated depreciation of fixed assets even when the useful life and utility of the assets clearly align more to straight-line depreciation? Explain. †¢In your opinion, why are some bonds sold at a discount and others at a premium? How does this affect the accounting for the bonds? When the terms premium and discount are used in reference to bonds, they are telling investors that the purchase price of the bond is either above or below its par value. For example, if a bond with a par value of $1,000 is selling at a premium when it can be bought for more than $1,000 and is selling at a discount when it can be bought for less than $1,000. Bonds can be sold for more and less than their par values because of changing interest rates. Like most fixed-income securities, bonds are highly correlated to interest rates. When interest rates go up, a bonds market price will fall and vice versa. To better explain this, lets look at an example. Imagine that the market interest rate is 3% today and you just purchased a bond paying a 5% coupon with a face value of $1,000. If interest rates go down by 1% from the time of your purchase, you will be able to sell the bond for a profit (or a premium ). This is because the bond is now paying more than the market rate (because the coupon is 5%). The spread used to be 2% (5%-3%), but its now increased to 3% (5%-2%). This is a simplified way of looking at a bonds price, as many other factors are involved; however, it does show the general relationship between bonds and interest rates. †¢What organizations are responsible for governing financial reporting? What is the role of each organization? How have the roles changed in the last 20 years? How might their roles change in the next 20 years?

A Re-Vision of Teaching: Portrait of a Teacher in Process Essay

A Re-Vision of Teaching: Portrait of a Teacher in Process In Adrienne Rich's essay, When We Dead Awaken: Writing As Re-Vision, Rich writes about re-vision as the act of seeing with fresh eyes, of entertaining an old text from a new critical direction (629). RichÆ’ÃŽs idea of looking at a subject with fresh eyes is a strategy that I decided to employ to reflect on my own teaching practices. In using re-vision to examine one particular lesson that I taught on Adrienne Rich/feminism and another lesson on revision source integration, I was able to see my lessons from a new perspective. Just as Alice Walker looked at her mother unconventional piece of art, a garden, in her essay, In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, I began to see my lessons as unconventional pieces of artwork in this same way (746). Examining my lessons from this artistic perspective enabled me not only to explain the process itself, but also to discover what was missing from my first lesson, the role of the student. Looking at my process ultimately helped me to redefine studentsÆ’ÃŽ roles in the classroom. If I had recorded my feminism Adrienne Rich lesson this is what it would look like: fifteen minutes of me talking. This talk begins with me introducing an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, which was written by a first-year composition teacher, Kate Dube. I bring the class attention to the observations she discovers from her class when they discuss feminism. I mention a few misconceptions about feminism, some students' thoughts on feminism, and reasons that Dube thinks feminism is a necessity due to the fact that there is still inequality between men and women today. Reading the class a statistic ... ...The Computer Delusion. The Atlantic Online. July 1997 . Rich, Adrienne. When We Dead Awaken: Writing as Re-Vision. Ways of Reading. 6th Edition. Bartholomae, David, and Anthony Petrosky. New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2002: 625-640. Rodriguez, Richard. The Achievement of Desire. Ways of Reading. 6th Edition. Bartholomae, David, and Anthony Petrosky. New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2002: 652-670. Tate Online. Tate Online: British and International Modern Art. 10 December 2004. . Walker, Alice. In Search of Our MotherÆ’ÃŽs Gardens. Ways of Reading. 6th Edition. Bartholomae, David, and Anthony Petrosky. New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2002: 738-747. Winterson, Jeanette. Art Objects Essays on Ecstacy and Effrontery. New York: Vintage International, 1995: 3-20

Human sexuality Essay

Incestuous inbreeding is the act of mating or having any sexual relations between two beings of close kinship. In people, this is prohibited by law to marry and engage in any sexual activity with any member of a person’s own family and with his/her relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity. Aside from it being a legal prohibition, it is also a considered a social taboo in most cultures. However, the considerations for incest are different depending on the beliefs and customs of these cultural groups. Some have more liberal qualifications for the situation to be called incest, and others are more conservative in the sense that people could not marry even those who are adopted into the family. Nevertheless, there are also some places wherein they permit this kind of familial setup to preserve their royal lineage. There are various kinds and forms of incest. The most common and considered a kind of abuse is the father-daughter incest and other forms of parental incest. However, there are also other forms such as sibling incest and other matches which usually come unreported. Although most cases of incest are born out of coercion, consensual incest also exists in some societies. The rationale behind the incest taboo must have stemmed from social group processes in ancient civilized and uncivilized societies. As studied by anthropologists, older cultures follow the rule of exogamy which enables families and groups to merge with others to form alliances. If incest was allowed, this rule would be violated. Religious groups and sects also have their various takes on this issue and most of them push that incest must not be tolerated and patronized. In modern societies, this legal prohibition now has scientific basis. It was found that since the two people involved in incestuous inbreeding have the same genetic makeup, their offspring would contract inherited congenital malformations. In the event that this becomes the result, future generations would be at risk of catching the same genetic defects. As a product of incestuous inbreeding, an offspring has a tendency to develop recessive disorders such as mental retardation, deaf-mutism, congenital ichthyosis, retinitis pigmentosa, adiposogenital syndrome, and homocystinuria. Previous studies show that more than half of the children born out of incest acquire some abnormality. The reason behind this is that there in an increase in homozygosity in the offspring’s genes, which means that there would be â€Å"the same allele at the same locus on both members of a chromosome pair† (â€Å"Incest,† n. d. ). In other words, if the parents of the child belong to the same family, there is a greater tendency for the child to get a defective gene from both parents. Because of this, it is assumed that there is a specific biological mechanism which prevents species from engaging in incestuous inbreeding. In detail, this mechanism could be more easily described in a comparison between incestuous inbreeding and mating between beings of different blood. Every human being carries some defective genes which are masked in a recessive expression. When two people belong in the same family, for example, as in the case of siblings, half of their genes are identical as they are from the same parents. This means that when they mate, there is a greater likelihood that the defective gene would be expressed in their offspring. However, for two people of no blood relation to each other, there isn’t any identical gene which means that it would be less likely for a genetic defect to be developed in their offspring. This biological constraint and medical risk is a consequence that incestuous inbreeding would bring. It would not only be harmful for the offspring because of the defects that would be acquired or a greater risk for mortality, nonetheless, it would also contribute to the deterioration of future generations. Finally, aside from these aforementioned medical considerations, it would also be appropriate to regard the psychological side effects as important in these situations. There are lots of cases which show that incest, especially those situations which could be considered as forms of abuse, result in psychological, mental, and emotional trauma. This probably might be because of the fact that it is established as a taboo and the behavior is a contradiction to that belief or attitude. Whatever the case may be, there would always be a negative outcome when two people engage in incestuous relations and inbreeding. References Children born as a result of incest. (1981). British Medical Journal Vol. 282. p. 250. Incest. (n. d. ) In Cambridge encyclopedia. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from http://encyclopedia. stateuniversity. com/pages/10516/incest. html The Columbia encyclopedia (10th ed. ). (2007). New York: Columbia University Press.

End of Life & Dementia Care Essay

1.1 Dementia is a progressive disease where an individual’s brain functions deteriorate and affects their mental capabilities. This disease is incurable which is similar to another terminal illness such as cancer. Symptoms of dementia will affect an individual’s memory leading to loss and confusing, language/ communication, understanding and judgement. Medication can be prescribed to help slow down the progression of symptoms. Within the more advanced stages the individual will commonly suffer from incontinence, limited mobility and limited communication usually the individual will not be able to use sentences just limited words. Other symptoms that worsen similar to those with a terminal illness are: aspiration, difficulty with breathing, pressure sores from lack of mobility, unrecognisable symptoms of pain (may not be able to communicate) this could lead to the individual not being treated for pain. 1.2 The end of life experience may differentiate between those who have to dementia to those who individuals without. An individual may lack understanding surrounding the diagnosis being made, they may have had symptoms for a longer period of time before a diagnosis had been made. This can lead to confusion as to why they are having symptoms and the way they are feeling. An individual’s communication may be limited, so they may not be able to express their feelings, changes in symptoms and pain. This can lead to depression/ anxiety which impacts on the individual’s behaviour I.e. verbally aggressive, changes in appetite. Lack of communication regarding pain could impact on the quality of care and medical treatment, as care givers are the primary source of recognising an individual’s pain through sounds rather than speech and non verbal communication. Whereas someone who doesn’t have dementia may be able understand a diagnosis and engage fully on how this c an affect their health through an illness progressing. 1.3 Person centred care has come under Health and social care act which states â€Å"that people should make choices about their lives and they should be at the centre of all planning†. Is it important having the person at the centre of all care throughout the time of caring for someone and when end of  life is approaching. The care provided to an individual within this should be based around their choices, beliefs, values and decisions which may have been made in advance. Working as a carer these should be respected. For example knowing the individual’s likes/ dislikes surrounding food, drinks, clothing, to have permission to give medication when the individual is unable to verbally consent. 1.4 In the earlier stages of dementia it is important that the carer works alongside and includes the individual and their family to make plans to reflect the individual’s wishes to be cared for at the end of life, before the dementia progresses and leaves the individual unable to communicate their wishes. Otherwise an appointed person would need to make decisions for the individual which could leave them feel distressed and unhappy. Planning and assessing allows time to plan for the care over the few days of life including after death. These advanced care plans reflect the individual’s values, beliefs and choices I.e. lifestyle, finances, medication, DNAR’s, funeral plans, after death care, appointed person for as/when the individual lacks capacity under the Mental health act to make â€Å"best interest† decisions on their behalf. 2.1 Pain in individuals with dementia is poorly recognised and undertreated can be due to lack of communication. This is dependent on what stage the individual is at within their dementia and how well the care givers know the individual. Some people maybe able to verbally communicate to carers if they are in pain by using single words and using non verbal methods I.e. pointing to what hurts but as this diseases progresses the individual’s ability to express themselves will worsen. If pain is going unrecognised, then there would be no medical intervention, which could cause more pain and will impact on the individual’s health and behaviours. 2.2 In the earlier stages individual’s may be able to express pain through verbal and non verbal communication, together the carer could recognise that they are in pain and a rough area of where this is coming from. This will enable carers to be able to provide medical intervention if needed I.e. Administering PRN paracetamol or seeking medical attention from a nurse/doctor when required. Care givers should use clear questions when speaking to someone with dementia as it may take them a little longer to process what is being asked. As the dementia progresses the individual could be unable to communicate, but they may be able to express pain through noise I.e. screams, but these could be easily misinterpreted by care providers as a â€Å"normal† behaviour if these are regular occurrences. 2.3 When pain has been recognised by care providers, communication with the individual is important where possible dependant of their ability to be verbal and how much capacity the individual has to understand their pain. Care givers will continuously monitor and observe the individual for changes in needs and record these within the daily care notes within the care plan. Dependant on the type of pain will depend on what medical intervention will be best for the individual through advice from other health professionals. Health professionals offer support to care providers to work as a multi-disciplinary team to promote the well-being of the individual to observe, monitor symptoms as well as the care staff. Care staff can give over the counter medications as per care plan, or the doctor/ nurses can prescribe stronger pain relief and controlled drugs. As end of life gets nearer palliative nurse would be visiting to monitor the individual and advise staff on how best to care for the individual and what symptoms to look for in the last few days of life I.e. changes in skin colour, increase of secretions. Medications maybe increased I.e. syringe drivers, which will help ease the pain and to make the individual more comfortable. Advice from colleagues and other health professionals will support care givers about non medicated techniques, these can be how best to position the individual, how often they should be repositioned to prevent pressure sores, skin care – keep the skin clear of sores, trying to keep the mouth clean as there would be increased secretions from the mouth, advice on fluid intake, methods how to try and encourage fluid intake i.e. spooning drinks, changes in food I.e soft. The individual should have an advanced care plan which care givers would be using to meet the individuals needs and wishes for example if they have a DNAR in place, then CPR would not be given. 3.1 Carers may feel guilt and stress and the end of life of an individual with dementia because they may have felt negative emotions towards the individual throughout the stages of dementia. At diagnosis the carer may not have accepted the diagnosis and treated the individual normally which could have caused frustration between the individual/ carer or they could have been in denial of the diagnosis and treated the individual â€Å"normally†, so the needs of the individual may not have been met fully. This could of impacted on the behaviour of the individual to become agitated or withdrawn if they feel they are a burden. The carer may not fully understand the symptoms of dementia especially challenging behaviour I.e. shouting out/ aggression. The carer may have felt negative emotions such as embarrassment and may have lost their temper or felt like hurting the individual and they are frustrated with the constant needs of support the individual has. When dementia has progressed and the carer may have been stressed from taking on the responsibility of caring if they have not had regular breaks. But on the other hand the carer may feel guilty for taking breaks and leaving them for other services to look after them. The carer may have had to make difficult decisions regarding accommodation for the individual such as going into residential care as they feel they can no longer cope with the responsibility of looking after them. After death the carer may feel they have let the individual down and not cared for them well enough based on their own expectations of themselves, they may also regret certain decis ions I.e. residential care. 3.2 Carers can be supported by other professionals to understand how the end of life process may differ for individuals with dementia. Any health professional involved with the individual’s care can provide support and advice I.e. GP’s, nurses, palliative nurses and social workers. They can also suggest informative services offered to carers as support where they can go and discuss the process with trained professionals and other carers. Communication between family, carers, health professionals is vital with end of life care as this can provide reassurance that the individual is being cared for is comfortable as possible, also to keep informed of any changes in the individual’s health I.e. refusal/ lack of ability to drink. A family  member may have been chosen to be the individual’s power of attorney in the advanced care plan once capacity has been lost. This would have been documented under the Mental Health Act. This chosen person would need to be involved in decisions alongside doctors. All the people involved with the care of the individual will support each other, answer any questions, and work alongside any advanced plans which should have been put in place. As towards end of life the individual won’t be able to make their own decisions so someone else will have to do this in the best interest of the individual. 3.3 Anyone supporting an individual with dementia will feel loss and grief at the end of his or her life. Some people may experience loss and grief at the time of diagnosis or once the dementia has progressed further as there will be a lack of recognition between family and the individual as they may feel the dementia has taken over. People may feel all different kinds of emotions through loss and grief. Some may have accepted the diagnosis/ changes of the individual and feel sadness. Others may find this a relief that the individual has passed and no longer having to carry on with progressing symptoms causing them pain and a poor quality of life. 3.4 Carers can have support from health professionals to make decisions and some of these decisions have to be made with health professionals, for example for a Do Not Attempt Resuscitation decision has to be made by a GP has to sign this document off in order to meet their best interests. Other decisions may need to be made if an advanced plan hasn’t been made such as where the individual will reside at home or within a residential placement. 3.5 At the final stages of end of life it is important to have good communication between all relevant parties (carers, family and colleagues). This is important so relatives are kept informed about how the individual’s health is, any changes in medications as towards end of life as it is common to be prescribed a higher dosage of pain relief I.e. morphine syringe drivers, as changes as in the final stages changes can happen quickly. Relatives may also want to know about the individual’s health as they may want to visit to say their last words or even be present at the time of death. Good communication is also important between carers as in  residential placements there will be staff change overs which they will need to know the individuals health state, information about medication, to read end of life care plans, if anyone relatives need calling, any other info I.e. visits from nurses/ GP’s.

Private Schools in Westchester County, New York

Private Schools in Westchester County, New York Westchester County, north of New York City, is home to several private schools. This list concentrates on non-parochial college-prep private schools. Hackley School Founded in 1899Located in Tarrytown840 Students, Grades K-12 Hackley School was founded in 1899 by Mrs. Caleb Brewster Hackley, a Unitarian leader who dedicated the mansion where she summered to start the school. The school was originally a boarding school for boys from a broad variety of economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. In 1970, the school became co-ed and, from 1970 to 1972, added a K-4 program. The boarding program is now a five-day program. The school, which now enrolls 840 students K-12, has a rigorous academic program and 62 sports teams, building on the schools tradition of having an early football team. The school has always valued community and the power of friendship. The schools mission reads as follows, Hackley challenges students to grow in character, scholarship, and accomplishment, to offer unreserved effort, and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world. Students tend to score well on Advanced Placement (AP) exams, and the middle 50% of a recent graduating class ranged from 1280-1460 on the Math and Critical Reading sections of the SAT (out of a possible 1600). According to the headmaster, Diversity is fundamental to our understanding of what good education is and one of the hallmarks of our communitys culture. Masters School Founded in 1877Located in Dobb Ferry588 Students, Grades 5-12 Located in Dobbs Ferry, 30 miles from New York City, Masters School was founded in 1877 by Eliza Bailey Masters, who wanted her students, who were girls, to have a serious classical education and not just the education provided by a typical finishing school. As a result, the girls at the school studied Latin and math, and by the turn of the century, the curriculum became college-preparatory in nature. The school attracted boarding students from across the country. In 1996, the school became co-ed in the Upper School, and an all-boys middle school was created to exist alongside the all-girls middle school. The Upper School also started to use oval-shaped Harkness tables and their attendant discussion-based teaching style, which originated at Phillips Exeter Academy. The school also began the CITY term , a semester program that uses New York City as a learning laboratory. The school now enrolls 588 students from grades 5-12 (boarding and day) and recently built a new science and technology center. Twenty-five percent of students receive financial aid. The schools mission reads, The Masters School provides a challenging academic environment that encourages critical, creative, and independent habits of thought and a lifelong passion for learning. The Masters School promotes and celebrates academic achievement, artistic development, ethical action, athletic endeavor, and personal growth. The School maintains a diverse community that encourages students to participate actively in decisions affecting their lives and to develop an appreciation of their responsibilities to the larger world. Rye Country Day School Founded in 1869Located in Rye850 Students, Grades PK-12 RCDS was founded in 1869 when local parents invited a schoolmaster named Reverend William Life and his wife, Susan, to Rye to educate their daughters. Opened as the Rye Female Seminary, the school began to concentrate on preparing girls for college. In 1921, the school merged with the all-boys Rye Country School to form the Rye Country Day School. Today, 850 students in grades Pre-K through 12 attend the school. Fourteen percent of its students receive financial aid. The schools mission reads as follows, Rye Country Day School is a coeducational, college preparatory school dedicated to providing students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches. In a nurturing and supportive environment, we offer a challenging program that stimulates individuals to achieve their maximum potential through academic, athletic, creative and social endeavors. We are actively committed to diversity. We expect and promote moral responsibility, and strive to develop strength of character within a respectful school community. Our goal is to foster a lifelong passion for learning, understanding, and service in an ever-changing world. Rippowam Cisqua: A PreK-9 School Founded in 1916Located in Mount Kisco (the Lower School campus)Located in Bedford (the Middle School campus)521 Students, Grades PK-9 Rippowam was founded in 1916 as the Rippowam School for Girls. In the early 1920s, the school became co-ed, and it later merged with the more progressive Cisqua School in 1972. The school now has an average class size of 18 students, and a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:5. Many of the schools graduates go on to attend top boarding schools and local day schools. The schools mission reads as follows: The mission of Rippowam Cisqua School is to educate students to become independent thinkers, confident in their abilities and themselves. We are committed to a dynamic program of academics, the arts, and athletics, and support an engaged faculty to challenge students to discover and explore their talents to the fullest. Honesty, consideration, and respect for others are fundamental to Rippowam Cisqua. In an atmosphere that promotes intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning, Rippowam Cisqua strives to instill in students a strong sense of connection to their community and to the larger world. We, as a school, recognize the common humanity of all people and teach understanding and respect for the differences among us.

Profile of Richard Wade Farley, Mass Murderer

Profile of Richard Wade Farley, Mass Murderer Richard Wade Farley is a mass murderer responsible for the 1988 murders of seven co-workers at the Electromagnetic Systems Labs (ESL) in Sunnyvale, California. What sparked the murders was his relentless stalking of a co-worker. Richard Farley - Background Richard Wade Farley was born on July 25, 1948, at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. His father was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force, and his mother was a homemaker. They had six children, of whom Richard was the eldest. The family frequently moved before settling in Petaluma, California, when Farley was eight years old. According to Farleys mother, there was much love in the house, but the family displayed little outward affection. During his childhood and teen years, Farley was a quiet, well-behaved boy who required little attention from his parents. In high school, he showed an interest in math and chemistry and took his studies seriously. He did not smoke, drink, or use drugs, and entertained himself with playing table tennis and chess, dabbling in photography, and baking. He graduated 61st out of 520 high school students. According to friends and neighbors, other than occasionally roughhousing with his brothers, he was a non-violent, well-mannered and helpful young man. Farley graduated from high school in 1966 and attended Santa Rosa Community College, but dropped out after one year and joined the US Navy where he stayed for ten years. Navy Career Farley graduated first in his class of six at Naval Submarine School but withdrew voluntarily. After finishing basic training, he was trained to be a cryptologic technician - a person who maintains electronic equipment. The information that he was exposed to was highly classified. He qualified for top-secret security clearance. The investigation into qualifying individuals for this level of security clearance was repeated every five years. Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory After his discharge in 1977, Farley purchased a home in San Jose and began working as a software technician at Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory (ESL), a defense contractor in Sunnyvale, California. ESL was involved in the development of strategic signal processing systems and was a major supplier of tactical reconnaissance systems to the US military. Much of the work that Farley was involved in at ESL was described as being vital to the national defense and highly sensitive. In included his work on equipment that enabled the military to determine the location and strength of enemy forces. Up until 1984, Farley received four ESL performance evaluations for this work. He scores were high - 99 percent, 96 percent, 96.5 percent, and 98 percent. Relationship With Fellow Employees Farley was friends with a few of his co-workers, but some found him to be arrogant, egotistical and boring. He liked to brag about his gun collection and his good marksmanship. But others who worked closely with Farley found him to be conscientious about his work and generally a nice guy. However, all of that changed, starting in 1984. Laura Black In the spring of 1984, Farley was introduced to ESL employee Laura Black. She was 22 years old and had been working as an electrical engineer for just under a year. For Farley, it was love at first sight. For Black, it was beginning of a four-year-long nightmare. For the next four years, Farleys attraction to Laura Black turned into a relentless obsession. At first Black would politely decline his invitations, but when he seemed unable to comprehend or accept her saying no to him, she stopped communicating with him as best she could. Farley began writing letters to her, averaging two a week. He left pastries on her desk. He stalked her and cruised by her home repeatedly. He joined an aerobics class on the same day that she joined. His calls became so annoying that Laura changed to an unlisted number. Because of his stalking, Laura moved three times between July 1985 and February 1988, but Farley found her new address each time and obtained a key to one of her homes after stealing it off of her desk at work. Between the fall of 1984 and February 1988, she received approximately 150 to 200 letters from him, including two letters he sent to her parents home in Virginia where she was visiting in December 1984. She had not provided him with her parents address. Some of Blacks coworkers tried to talk to Farley about his harassment of Black, but he reacted either defiantly or by threatening to commit violent acts. In October 1985, Black turned to the human resources department for help. During the first meeting with human resources, Farley agreed to stop sending letters and gifts to Black, following her home and using her work computer, but in December 1985, he was back to his old habits. Human Resources stepped in again in December 1985 and again in January 1986, each time issuing Farley a written warning. Nothing Else to Live For After the January 1986 meeting, Farley confronted Black at the parking lot outside of her apartment. During the conversation, Black said Farley mentioned guns, told her he no longer was going to ask her what to do, but rather tell her what to do. Over that weekend she received a letter from him, stating he would not kill her, but that he had a whole range of options, each getting worse and worse. He warned her that, I do own guns and Im good with them, and asked her not to push him. He continued on that if neither of them yielded, pretty soon I crack under the pressure and run amok destroying everything in my path until the police catch me and kill me. In mid-February 1986, Farley confronted one of the human resource managers and told her that ESL had no right to control his relationships with other individuals. The manager warned Farley that sexual harassment was illegal and that if he did not leave Black alone, his conduct would lead to his termination. Farley told her that if he were terminated from ESL, he would have nothing else to live for, that he had guns and was not afraid to use them, and that he would take people with him. The manager asked him directly if he was saying that he would kill her, to which Farley answered yes, but he would take others, too. Farley continued to stalk Black, and in May 1986, after nine years with ESL, he was fired. Growing Anger and Aggression Being fired seemed to fuel Farleys obsession. For the next 18 months, he continued to stalk Black, and his communications with her became more aggressive and threatening. He also spent time lurking around the ESL parking lot. In the summer of 1986, Farley began dating a woman named Mei Chang, but he continued to harass Black. He was also having financial problems. He lost his home, his car, and his computer and he owed over $20,000 in back taxes. None of this deterred his harassment of Black, and in July 1987, he wrote to her, warning her not to get a restraining order. He wrote, It might not really occur to you how far Im willing to go to upset you if I decide thats what Im forced to do. Letters along this same line continued over the next several months. In November 1987 Farley wrote, You cost me a job, forty thousand dollars in equity taxes I cant pay, and a foreclosure. Yet I still like you. Why do you want to find out how far Ill go? He ended the letter with, I absolutely will not be pushed around, and Im beginning to get tired of being nice. In another letter, he told her that he did not want to kill her because he wanted her to have to live to regret the consequences of not responding to his romantic gestures. In January, Laura found a note from him on her car, with a copy of her apartment key attached. Frightened and fully aware of her vulnerability she decided to seek the help of an attorney. On February 8, 1988, she was granted a temporary restraining order against Richard Farley, which included that he stay 300 yards away from her and not contact her in any way. Revenge The day after Farley received the restraining order he began to plan his revenge. He bought over $2,000 in guns and ammunition. He contacted his lawyer to have Laura removed from his will. He also sent a package to Lauras attorney claiming that he had proof that he and Laura had a secret relationship. The court date for the restraining order was February 17, 1988. On February 16, Farley drove to ESL in a rented motor home. He was dressed in military fatigues with a loaded bandoleer  slung over his shoulders, black leather gloves, and a scarf around his head and earplugs. Before leaving the motor home, he armed himself with a 12-gauge Benelli Riot semi-automatic shotgun, a Ruger M-77 .22-250 rifle with a scope, a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun, a Sentinel .22 WMR revolver, a Smith Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, a Browning .380 ACP pistol and a Smith Wesson 9mm pistol. He also tucked a knife in his belt, grabbed a smoke bomb and a gasoline container, and then headed to the entrance of ESL. As Farley made his way across the ESL parking lot, he shot and killed his first victim Larry Kane and continued shooting at others who ducked for cover. He entered the building by blasting through the security glass and kept on shooting at the workers and the equipment. He made his way to Laura Blacks office. She attempted to protect herself by locking the door to her office, but he shot through it. He then shot directly at Black. One bullet missed and the other shattered her shoulder, and she fell unconscious. He left her and moved on through the building, going room to room, shooting at those he found hidden under desks or barricaded behind office doors. When the SWAT team arrived, Farley managed to avoid their snipers by staying on the move inside the building. A hostage negotiator was able to make contact with Farley, and the two talked on and off during a five-hour siege. Farley told the negotiator that he had gone to ESL to shoot up equipment and that there were specific people he had in mind. This later contradicted Farleys lawyer who used the defense that Farley had gone there to kill himself in front of Laura Black, not shoot at people. During his conversations with the negotiator, Farley never expressed any remorse for the seven individuals killed and admitted that he did not know any of the victims except for Laura Black. Hunger is what finally ended the mayhem. Farley was hungry and asked for a sandwich. He surrendered in exchange for the sandwich. Seven people were dead and four injured, including Laura Black. Victims Killed: Lawrence J. Kane, 46Wayne Buddy Williams Jr., 23Donald G. Doney, 36Joseph Lawrence Silva, 43Glenda Moritz, 27Ronald Steven Reed, 26Helen Lamparter, 49 Wounded were Laura Black, Gregory Scott, Richard Townsley, and Patty Marcott. Death Penalty Farley was charged with seven counts of capital murder, assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree burglary, and vandalism. During the trial, it became evident that Farley was still in denial about his non-relationship with Black. He also seemed to lack an understanding of the depth of his crime. He told another prisoner, I think they should be lenient since its my first offense. He added that if he did it again, then they should throw the book at him. A jury found him guilty of all charges, and on January 17, 1992, Farley was sentenced to death. On July 2, 2009, the California Supreme Court denied his death penalty appeal. As of 2013, Farley is on death row in San Quentin Prison.

The Wars of the roses were caused by weak kingship.In the context of Coursework

The Wars of the roses were caused by weak kingship.In the context of the period c1377-1487,how far does this statement explain - Coursework Example Although this paper covers the period of 1377-1487, a special attention will be paid to the events of 1450-71, even though the other time spans of the said period will be duly analysed as the case may be. To achieve this goal, I have decided to divide my paper into four sections, three of which have their sub-sections. In the first section, I will deal with the influence of personal qualities of Henry VI on the political events which led to the Wars of the Roses, as well as on disintegration of central authority in the preceding years. The comparison between Henry VI and the other kings of the period will be provided with a view to determining the impact of royal personality on political processes of the period. In the second section, I aim to discuss the role of political and blood feuding between various noble houses as exacerbating instability and general political crisis both in the beginning of the Wars and during their immediate course. I will look both at the main conflict cen tred on the leaders of Yorkist and Lancastrian factions and at the different local feuds that led to the situation steadily deteriorating. The third section deals with the impact of the external factors, focussing on the loss of Lancastrian France and the discontents it generated. The economic crisis and the dynastic factor are briefly analysed in section 4. At the end of the essay some conclusions on the interrelation between the weakening of royal power under Henry VI and the other causes of the Wars of the Roses are provided. I also include the detailed bibliography of the subject under consideration after the Works Cited that would provide additional support to the argument that this paper defends. THE WEAKNESS OF THE KING Academics’ views on the personal qualities of Henry VI. There is no doubt that the reign of Henry VI was marked by progressive weakening of royal prestige and authority, which eventually led to the major strife among the nobles of the realm. For instanc e, Wolffe argues that Henry VI’ character was marked by â€Å"perverse wilfulness† and that his â€Å"wilful incompetence and untrustworthiness† made him completely unreliable in the affairs of government (Wolffe, â€Å"The Personal Rule† 44). McFarlane remarks that the â€Å"inanity† of Henry VI in the years of his personal rule was characteristic of an infantile person incapable of independent reasoning (McFarlane, â€Å"Nobility† 284). In addition, Carpenter finds that the period of personal rule of Henry VI was characterised by â€Å"the lack of the royal will at the heart of it† (88). At the same time, Griffiths observes that Henry VI was by nature â€Å"a well-intentioned man†, but at the same time he agrees that the king was â€Å"over-merciful and compassionate to those at fault, yet fearfully suspicious of those who were rumoured to be doing him personal harm (Griffiths, â€Å"The Reign of Henry VI† 253). Howev er, to prove or disprove such claims, one has to look

Health Care Delivery Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Care Delivery Across Cultures - Essay Example "Cultural awareness is defined as the process of conducting a self-examination of one's own biases towards other cultures and the in-depth exploration of one's cultural and professional background." (Bacote 2007). This also means being aware of the reality of recognized racism and other "isms" in healthcare delivery. Cultural skill involves the skill carry out a cultural assessment in order to gather significant cultural data concerning the problems of the client and performing physical assessment based on culture. Cultural knowledge is "the process in which the healthcare professional seeks and obtains a sound information base regarding the worldviews of different cultural and ethnic groups as well as biological variations, diseases and health conditions and variations in drug metabolism found among ethnic groups (biocultural ecology)." (Bacote 2007). Through cultural encounter, the healthcare professional employs cultural interactions, in person, with the clients from different cultural background. The aim of this is to transform established ideas concerning a cultural division and to check probable stereotyping.

Implementing TQM Philosophy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Implementing TQM Philosophy - Case Study Example However, this study is not meant for discussing and comparing the quality measures implementation of large and small organization. In this study, the focus will be mainly on the principles of quality management, rationale behind companies considering the implementation of total quality management, the steps of implementing TQM and the result, outcomes and benefits the company gets for implementing TQM in the system. According to Jablonski (1992) â€Å"a cooperative form of doing business that relies on the talents and capabilities of both labor and management to continually improve quality and productivity using teams† (p.21). Total Quality Management has been one of the most popular business strategies in many leading business firms across the world (Khalid, Irshad and Mahmood, 2011). The principles of quality management are used by the management as a guide towards improving organizational performance. The principles are generally derived from knowledge and experience. There are eight quality management principles which are made apparent by ISO 9000:2005. The eight principles are consumer focus, leadership, participation of people, process approach, system approach to management, constant improvement, realistic approach to decision making, reciprocally advantageous supplier relationships (ISO, 2012). Only a few companies have been able to achieve success by the implementation of TQM. International Business Machines (IBM), Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Nokia are some of the companies achieved success for implementing TQM (Yusof and Aspinwall, 2000). This study will however shed light only on TQM implementation at IBM. Therefore, it is important to present a brief synopsis of the company. IBM: A Brief Overview International Business Machines Corporation or commonly known as IBM is a US based multinational consulting and technology firm. The company was founded by Charles Ranlett Flint in the year 1911 and is currently headquartered at Armonk, New York, U.S. W ith strong business network, the company is able to serve customers across the globe. IBM manufactures and markets software, hardware and offer customers with consulting and hosting services (Chacko, 2005). In the year 2012, Fortune ranked IBM as the second largest company in terms of the number of employees and fourth largest in terms of market capitalization. The achievements of the company clearly reflect their commitment towards gaining quality excellence. According to several company personnel, quality management is considered to be the most essential task. This is principally because of the company’s intention to offer quality products to the customers and enhance their market reputation. Moreover, with increasing level of competition within the consulting and IT industry, IBM was compelled implement TQM to a certain extent. The next section of the study will elaborate on the major rationale behind the implementation of TQM at IBM. Rationale for TQM Implementation Organ izations around the globe are exploring ways to enhance their business practice and achieve competitive advantage. In order to achieve the same companies often take the assistance of technology. One of the most viable technological innovations of the previous decade was materialization of ERP solution. However, the implementation of this system is a challenge for most of the organizations. The lack of technology and societal resistance are some of the major challenges of the organizati

Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Industry: Nandos

Customer Loyalty in the Restaurant Industry: Nandos Topic: How customer loyalty can be increased in the restaurant industry? The case of Nandos. Why customer loyalty is important? What Nandos is doing and how it can be better develop? Loyalty marketing, loyalty programs, how to manage it? Techniques? Benefits? Problems? Conclusion. Loyalty Marketing: Definitions Of Customer Loyalty The main change concerns in the organization of marketing activities are certainly one of the more remarkable doctrines marketing. The concept of traditional marketing put at the centre of its priorities the creation of a preference for the service, the needs and desires of consumers. The marketing approach, as observed in the theory and practice in recent years focused more on the notion of exchange and the relationship is the focus of analysis. More recent approaches of marketing focus on the customer and make the quality of the relationship the key to loyalty. Indeed, a quality relationship inhibits choice and represses the effect of preferences. Thus, the relationship with the client becomes a primary concern managerial and academic. The market-oriented generates necessary behaviours to create superior value delivered to customers (Kohli and Jaworski 1990) and place the interests of the client first (Deshpande et al. 1993) for a continue satisfaction, permanent, which undergone constant refinement. This satisfaction is no longer about the only service provided by the company, but includes elements of the relationship, such as trust and commitment. For this, we seek an ongoing relationship and oriented in the long term in the context of a relationship marketing (Dwyer, Schurr et Oh 1987, Sheth et Parvatiyar 1994) and in this context that develops loyalty policies (Dawkins and Reichheld 1990). Kyner and Jacoby (1973) define loyalty as follows: Loyalty is defined as a behavioural response bias because non-random (not spontaneous) expressed over time by an entity decision, finding one or several brands taken in an overall, according to a decision process.† In this definition, loyalty requires: A repeat purchase behaviour resulting from several background variables and complement each other; A positive attitude of consumers that must be controlled or directed. This attitude reveals a favourable perception towards the brand, service, differentiating it to the loyalty from routine behaviour. For others loyalty rooted quality and delivered on the positive gap between perceived expectations and post-purchase evaluation. For Shapiro and Varian (1999) loyalty is to the consumer when efforts to change brand, product or supplier are too large to expect a significant gain change. The authors of this school of thought attempt to explain loyalty by exit barriers that prevent a kind of free choice of the client (a client may be considered faithful to a company only because it has characteristics of geographical proximity). Another school of thought on the loyalty is that which gave birth to the management of customer relationship management (CRM) with the emergence of ideas of Life Time Value. It aims to analyze the lifetime value of its current contribution but also on the basis of its potential to better allocate the resources of the company. It is now for an analysis in terms of portfolio of clients (each client has a value for the company that can be measured by the margin gen erated). Customer loyalty can be defined as the tendency of a customer to choose one company or product/service over another for a particular need. Customer/s can be described as being brand loyal because they tend to choose a certain brand of product more often than others. Customer loyalty is evident when it is the customers who make choices and take actions. Customer may express high satisfaction levels in a survey with a product or company, but there is a big difference between satisfaction and loyalty (Kumar (2008). Loyalty is shown by the actions of the customer, who can be satisfied and still not be loyal. The satisfaction with the product is ultimately a condition for loyalty. In fact, satisfaction is necessary for loyalty but not sufficient. It is true that the satisfaction is not only based on the product and service but also the relationship with the staff. Satisfaction towards the product concerns intrinsic attributes: quality, features, design, durability, benefit. Ultimately, th e quality-price emerges as a global assessment. The service specifically covers guaranteed delivery, solving problems and handling complaints. It introduced the relational aspects of accessibility, courtesy, competence and communication. Experience has shown that the first reason why customers leave a company with whom they do business, is that they do not feel that their needs are important to the company, and vice versa for the remaining loyal to the company for a long time, they feel valued and important. This perception and feeling to be considered is the emotional bridge between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Ghaury and Cateora 2006). Companies use a series of programs as relationship marketing, Database marketing, permission marketing or customer relationship management (CRM). Loyalty has a direct effect on sales of a company, and even better on its profits. However, the increased level of loyalty stems directly from the attitude and behaviour staff to clients. Motivation staff is the most powerful vector loyalty which itself contributes to profits. Meanwhile, business processes influence largely on how the staff behave with customers. It is in the interest of the company to develop a long-term relationship with clients where both parties benefit each other. It is much less costly for the company to keep its existing customers than to seek new ones. The scale of customer loyalty has 5 types of customers starting with: Suspect: A suspect is someone who comes across the companies promotion. They are a potential suspect for the company. Prospect: If the person is interested in the promotion they become a potential prospect. Customers: A customer is someone who purchases either the product or service. Clients: Clients are those who come back to the company. Advocates: Promotes the business on the companys behalf. They are so happy about the product/service that they tell others. (http://www.learnmarketing.net/ladder.htm Accessed on 02/08/2009) Marketing And Loyalty There are many definitions of marketing applying to loyalty programs. Several of them have focused these objectives in view of the value of the customer more profitable for the company. Today, programs and loyalty cards are found everywhere on standard credit cards, restaurants, etc Loyalty programs are widespread in all sectors that deliver goods or services used. They rely on marketing databases built from information from the loyalty cards that identify the client and record information about its behaviour. Their rules often refer to the use of methods from the traditional promotional techniques, encouraging consumers to increase and sustain their purchases in order to obtain a reward. In this context, they can be distinguished from the sales promotion of their defensive focus to longer term. The objective of the promotion is offensive, and when it stops, there is nothing that prevents consumers to come back to their old habits (Ehrenberg et al. 1994). In contrast, a loyalty progr am seeks to preserve market share by locking consumers through tangible benefits deferred (promotional techniques) or intangible (individualization, privileges, etc) and acts somewhat like a permanent promotion in the long term. The effectiveness of a loyalty program thus depends on its characteristics and tangible benefits but also intangible, that is to say, the expected value of the potential relationship that is likely to generate and develop. The consumer joining a loyalty program seeks, in making their purchases at shopkeepers, obtaining dividends, gifts. The trader in investing in this program seeks to seduce and imprison the consumer. This method, better known as retention, is actually a rather simple technique by which the consumer is faced with the efforts invested in the bonus points and is losing everything in case of abandonment of the program. A loyalty program is a relationship between the customer and the merchant in which, technically, the 2 parties have benefits. I n promoting their businesses, traders undertake several actions to attract customers. For the management of immediate rewards, they offer special discount store. By managing customer loyalty program, they offer rewards delayed. In contrast to the sales promotion where earnings appear at the same time as the cost or effort, this ratio is reversed in the context of delayed rewards, since an individual must first make an effort to more or less long term for earnings in the future. Investigations on human behaviour have shown that some individuals possess a strong motivation to engage in efforts leading to the award of future earnings (Atkinson 1957, Nicholls 1989). It is this aspect that loyalty programs appropriated in the construction of systems with delayed gratification the aim of managing the length of the relationship (retention) and discrimination. (Meyer-Waarden (2002). P. 2-88). Curiously this strong motivation is akin to the quest for a reward. In other words, the effort is motivated by greed. Some experts say that consumer motivation fades over time as more becomes aware that the bonus is spaced in time, the more likely he become discouraged with the efforts required for obtaining the reward. (Meyer-Waarden (2002), P 2-89) Thus, programs must allow consumers to obtain the benefits of the program while also locking in this program. To counter this behavioural aspect, 2 types of programs are offered: proportional and landing. The first principle is to proportionately reward the best customers. The second system encourages them to consume more to reach the next threshold points providing more benefits. Thus, it offers a minimum of points to small unprofitable consumers, maximum points for customers who are very profitable, and few points to very large consumers who buy anyway. (Meyer-Waarden (2002). P. 2-89) Greed is thus increased to obtain a value of gift supported by the consumers effort. The number of points necessary for obtaining a reward is related to the amount invested in the market by the consumer. By cons, consumer choice to join or not this kind of program that demonstrates the lure of gain accessible to long-term investment requires not only money but also time. There are several types of loyalty programs. Some programs offer a specific product free after a number of agreed purchase (coffee, compact disk, etc..) Or reductions applicable on each purchase while the issuers of credit cards offer privileges such as trave l insurance and car insurance during a rental. Some cards also allow a percentage discount or return money. In practice the system of loyalty cards is simple. It is generally sufficient to consumers to use when buying the card issued or accepted by the merchant to qualify for benefits. The card companies also offer credit to their customers bonus points programs. Unlike cards issued by participating merchants, using credit cards leads automatically, no matter where it is used, the accumulation of points and can sometimes match the accumulation of these points to another program loyalty. It is important to mention the strategy department stores growing strongly consumers use their credit cards to earn double the points they would get by paying cash or get loyalty points better at the price of an interest rate up to 28.8%. More specifically, programs that offer frequent flyer points accumulated encourage consumers to use the card as often as possible when making purchases to earn poin ts available for every penny spent, which will be redeemable against products or services available through a catalogue of premium or cons of coupons or discounts available with designated partners. (Benavent. Christopher. and Lars Meyer-Waarden. 2001. Loyalty Programs: Strategies and Practices). Some loyalty card segment their customers by offering them the opportunity to pay an additional fee to join an enhanced program that offers them a better ratio spent pounds / points accumulated. The holders can be considered as incidental to their privileged relationship with the issuer of the card. From the outset, the consumer, by joining the loyalty program, provides data that feed the database of the issuing company. Subsequently, all transactions for which the loyalty card is used by the consumer are stored in this database comes to prepare a record of its habits. The program relies on both the declarative, where the consumer fills out the questionnaire affiliation, but also on buying behaviour, thanks to its history. (Frenove, A.S. Hivet, N. Joly, P and Josquin, C. 2003. Topic: The Ethics of supermarkets). The ultimate goal of these programs, in addition to customer retention is to allow traders to analyze the data collected in order to increase the value of the customers shopping cart. The Concept Of Customer Life Cycle And Types Of Loyalty The Concept Of Customer Life Cycle: One of the key concepts of customer-oriented marketing is the life cycle dynamics of the customer, based on the idea that the flows of revenues and costs vary over time as requirements change in customer / business relations, contrary to the classical analysis and static demand. The first feature of the approach is that it is done individually and not aggregated, underscoring again the importance of marketing database, made possible thanks to the performance of information technology. Another interesting aspect is that the analysis is performed dynamically. The main idea is that the opinion of a client may occur more or less intense, and we can assume that it is forming a cycle. Practically, these cycles represent changes in purchasing power, but also modes, changing preferences, the phenomena of learning and forgetting. These cycles depend on several factors: the first is age. During the aging characteristics of opinion trends, tastes and attitudes can occur. Aging is characterized by a higher loyalty, more conservative, more risk aversion. Another factor is the generation based on the assumption that successive generations have value systems and own beliefs relatively distinct from others. This generation effect partially covers the different types of experiences. This manifests itself in innovative behaviours that vary with the gap between innovation and generation. This management based on cycles of life is clear to solve three problems: acquiring the customer, maintain, expand consumption and profitability. According to Dwyer, Schurr and Oh (1987), in the sense of relationship marketing, the life cycles of the relationship between a brand, product and a consumer have three distinct phases characterized by changes over time the amount used: (1) initialization or acquisition, (2) maturation or development and (3) breaking. The beginning of the cycle is quite understandable and is in customer acquisition, with a time of discovery of the other as a potential partner. Both parties calculate the attraction of the relationship, the costs and benefits of continuing it. Marked by the process of adoption and learning, this phase is characterized by a positive rate of consumption growth, but with high costs. In a second phase, presumably the consumers level of consumption stabilizes after having fully explored the use of the service. The expectations of the relationship and its benefits are confirmed, which leads to a continuation trade and then the notion of commitment, which results in the ignorance of competitive offers. Incomes of the company increase first and then level off as costs decrease. Finally, a third cycle is where a revival / reactivation, retention or separation from the client must be considered because the contribution weakens. The decrease in sales of service may occur at any time or gradual ly, indicating a process of wear or a more brutal, reflecting the substitution phenomena. Indeed, the dissolution occurs when the unmet expectations of increased transaction costs, the weakening of the switching costs of changing needs. Both partners must make a trade off between the benefits and costs brought by the relationship to decide whether or not its continuation. Any company engaged in the marketing approach dynamic client needs to adapt its strategy according to these phases. Three types of strategies should be considered in terms of life cycles that match: The customer acquisition, The loyalty and customer retention, And the augmentation of customer loyalty which represent a real challenge. Abandonment is considered when the costs of retention are higher than income generated by the client. (Abandonment=Costs loyalty > Income generated by the client). Once the company has determined the position of the life cycle by customer segment, it becomes clearly evident that this strategy must lead to an individualized approach to lead to a balanced allocation of resources. The problem is that each individual has a different value each time t for the company, which requires segmentation based on the potential and value of customers. Types Of Loyalty Customer loyalty is the result of well-managed customer retention programs. Before developing these successful programs, its important to know there are two types of loyalty: behavioural loyalty and the emotional loyalty. Behavioural loyalty is the loyalty to a brand demonstrated by repeat sales and responses to marketing campaigns by the customer. He behaves exactly like the company wants, by purchasing good or service. Behavioural loyaltys measures include response rate to direct marketing to the customer base. Emotional loyalty is the loyalty to a brand driven by favourable perceptions, opinions and giving recommendations. The customer feels empathy and attachment to a company or brand and he is willing to recommend it around him. It is better for the company if the customer has the both types of loyalty, but when its not the case specific strategies are developed to achieve both. (Chauffey, Chadwick, Mayer, Johnston (2006)). Benefits Of Efficient Customer Loyalty Management First, a loyal customer will continue its purchases over the years. Its purchase volume should also normally increase simply by economic growth and inflation. It should accept offers for complementary products and additional (Cross-Selling and Up-Selling). In any event, transaction costs should not increase proportionately. Consequently, they will decrease as a percentage of the cost and improve profitability (Kumar (2008)). Finally, a satisfied customer refers an average of 3 customers should in the best case follow the same progression. A study by the Harvard Business School published in the journal of the same name, shows an improvement in the percentage of loyal customers by 5% per year for 5 years to double, not sales, but profits.(CRM Odyssey Inc (2003)www.crmodyssey.com Accessed on the 09/08/2009 Another benefit from customer loyalty is it creates allow to the company to protect its markets from competitors; the more the customer is satisfied, the less he will be to buy to another product or service to the competitors. Automatically barriers are created against the competitors trying to enter in the market(s) (Ghaury and Cateora (2006)). Finally the word of mouth behaviour of loyal customer increase brand awareness. Customer share their positive feelings and experiences with their friends, family or mates when they are loyal to the company or product. They still purchase to the company and recommend it to others. It means a reduction of advertising cost; the money can be used to boost the word of mouth by making strategies to reward loyal customers. Reichheld goes even further in 1996 in his book The effect of loyalty by writing: the benefits of loyal customers are increasing over time and can recruit new consumers at reduced cost by using the legal Customer faithful because it is supposed to be a good speaker for the company.† It also shows in his work as a loyal customer makes purchases more often, he tends to buy for a higher amount and is less sensitive to the variable price. He becomes a captive of the company and therefore gives a kind of barrier to entry for potential competitors. The work of the TARP (Technical Assistance Program Reseach) supports these observations. They show that winning a new customer returns four to five times more expensive than keeping a customer is already active. Jones and Sasser (Jones 1995) focused on the relationship satisfaction / loyalty and showed a sense of satisfaction may not necessarily result fidelity as a loyal customer may nevertheless want to take advantage of a promotion with another supplier, test another product or refer to another offer. By cons, they also show a sense of dissatisfaction may cause disloyalty if dissatisfaction is not taken into account by the company. These gains must obviously be taken with caution because they rely heavily on industries. There is however no doubt that customer retention can benefit a significant leverage effect on profitability. The main reasons are: lower costs for customer acquisition, the net margin updated on the life of the customer to cover these costs; reduced management costs, a loyal customer knows the business better and less prone to use his front office to make purchases (reservations) effect of recommendation; Increased revenue per customer The Cost Of Lost Customers: A defensive marketing is cheaper than an offensive marketing, which often requires a direct confrontation with the competition. The cost of keeping a customer is five times less than the cost of converting a prospect, and it can cost up to sixteen times more to achieve with the new customer, the profitability of a customer acquired. So its the rate of customer retention rate that is essential, and not the attraction. The company must carefully monitor the defection of customers and minimize the amplitude. There are four stages: Define and measure retention. This may be the reuse of the services. Know the different reasons for discontinuation, and identify those which can be remedied. Estimate the lost profit per customer lost. Calculate how much it would reduce defections. Profitability: We have already mentioned the theory of Reichheld and Sasser that a company can improve profitability by 25% to 85% by reducing its rate of defection by 5%. Thus, loyal customers are often more profitable than occasional customers. Specifically, in the service activities and the Business to Business, customers of a company tend to increase their purchase from the company as they know it and appreciate it better. A positive word of mouth: In many cases, loyal customers of a business will spontaneously promote to their surroundings, and become, through word of mouth, very effective recruiters because disinterested and credible. For all these reasons, the loyal customer service of a company is considered a real capital, called the customer capital. Retention and its challenges: This new focus puts the customer and his control in centre of our concerns. Given the incredible proliferation of professional works in the field, it seems essential to discuss strategic issues and objectives of retention, by reviewing customer orientation and loyalty policies to give a definition and a clear positioning of loyalty. The retention strategy: Loyalty, recognized as indispensable goal of any customer relationship strategy, not confined to mere promotional programs: Some rules must be respected. Rule 1: Be selective: Customers do not all contribute equally to the profitability of the company. Therefore, retention should be selectively adapting any loyalty action from an analysis of customer value. Rule 2: Propose an attractive loyalty offer and truly innovative. The loyalty offers are numerous, but not all have the same impact. The company can arbitrate according to its objectives between different options: Immediate benefits often focus on value and price (price preference ); Privileges, providing intangible benefits to customers (priority systems, assistance ); Rewards delayed in time, seeking to establish lasting relationships with customers the most profitable and likely to extend their relationship with the company. Whatever the choice of the selected offer, interest for customers is based on five attributes, determining its overall perceived value: The perceived value of any premium or net worth; Attractiveness; Accessibility through time; The freedom given to the customer in the choice of options; Simplicity of the offer. Rule 3: Anticipating the costs: The need to assess the costs in advance of any approach to loyalty is essential. Too often, a company focused on profits resulting from the proposed strategy, without taking into account the costs generated before and repeatedly. These costs may be related to both the growing number of customers affected, and ways and means of dealing with relationships with clients, sometimes completely new to the company. Rule 4: Consolidate and exploit customer information: The challenges that the company have just highlighted described the need to build its strategy of strong customer loyalty for the company. Two main lines of action are considered: †¢ The opportunity to integrate operational databases (sales / billing, marketing ) in a baseline. †¢ The interest of exploiting every opportunity to contact customers to gather information about them. This database will allow the tracking of the customer relationship over time, and identification of customer profiles profitable and unprofitable, which will determine the choice of targets to retain. Problems Linked To Customer Loyalty Difficulties In Marketing: Obtaining a good efficiency requires a good understanding of customer behaviour and causes of abandonment. One must distinguish the causes of termination which are inevitable (and often unpredictable) from other, more or less predictable and can be combated. The causes are unavoidable, for example: a change of personal or professional lifestyle, financial problems, death Preventable causes are: inadequate tariff, a history of poor service and complaints. The challenge is to build something, based on information often dispersed. In anticipation of the termination for inadequate tariff, must be able to say what was the invoice for each client if they had chosen the optimum rate? How much would he have saved? From what current difference between invoice and optimum bill is there a risk? To anticipate the claims for termination, you must classify all types of call to customer service (there are easily hundreds) and identify those that increase the probability of termination. We must also take account of differences in behaviour related to age, family status, and place of residence and recover to the extent possible this information. Difficulties In Management Retention also poses problems of management, for example the coexistence of a culture of acquisition and a culture of loyalty: In a young market, corporate culture is naturally directed towards the acquisition. This orientation manifests itself in several ways, for example, budgets are allocated primarily to sales, what is important here is the market share of sales. In these circumstances it is difficult to make a place to loyalty because it is cultural opposition on both fronts: its budget is in competition with the acquisition, because what is important here is the retention of customers and not flow of customers. Difficulties In The Organization: When the market is young, the sales should be focused on conquering, the measure of the rate of effectiveness is still difficult, and loyalty is part of the Marketing. Then improving customer knowledge, customer service records terminations, understand the causes, loyalty becomes profitable and worthy of large budgets, customer service becomes legitimate to ensure loyalty. In consumer, all sale actions are public, as far as loyalty is confidential. Loyalty is indeed a clear competitive advantage. It allows to keep or to take market share in all discretion. Confidentiality is necessary for a second reason: do not create perverse behaviour on the part of customers, who know the rules of the game could benefit for future benefits. (Jean Baptiste COUMAU and Henri WIDMER, La Jaune et la Rouge,2002) Rejection Of Customers: The approach of loyalty can lead to bias by virtue of its objectives: there is concern that the benefits accorded to consumers more loyal to the product or service concerned and not the enterprise. There is a risk of great loss of power marketing consent. Moreover, the strong competition leads to a generalization of loyalty operations that can not only cause fatigue but also a rejection of the approach by customers. The multiplicity of material resources such as loyalty cards generalized in various companies in portfolios causes both a reaction to the trivialization of operation for the customer and a loss of power to the business on target. The implementation of a loyalty operation is tricky: the company must choose carefully because the target must be loyal customers, those holders of profits. This targeting is difficult and requires the development of a database of well-informed. This base is also used to monitor quantitatively and qualitatively loyal customers. These are consider ations of costs related to these investments in information that may be a limit. (Fotso Tagne Achille Rostand, La fidelisation client http://www.ougagner.fr/fidelisation.html Accessed on the 09/09/2009) Means And Factors Influencing Loyalty Factors Influencing Loyalty If they are well structured and well implemented, customer loyalty programs cited above can bring measurable benefits to the company that would stand out positively of competition by reducing costs and in the same time increase its income. This situation is favoured by: Attracting new customers; A high retention rate of existing customers for a long period; Increasing the frequency of visits by the existing customers; Increasing expenditure on new and existing customers; Making customers in good conditions so they feel appreciated and satisfied then they promote products or services through word of mouth around them. (Memberson (2008) http://www.memberson.com/Loyalty/CustomerLoyalty.aspx Accessed on 01/08/2009) Some factors are essential to create and maintain the Customer loyalty. Showing 6 success factors that make some companies