Leadership in business management Research Paper

Leadership in business management - Research Paper Example He is like a captain of the ship. He or she brings all team members on a proper track of their objectives. The efficient leaders are needed in every organization for attaining both small scale and large scale goals. While describing the importance of the leadership, Marlene Caroselli, in her book, â€Å"Leadership Skills for Managers, says, â€Å"It is easy to make money. But leaders strive to make a difference. They are willing to make sacrifices and to inspire others to do the same.† [1] According to Peter Northouse, leadership is â€Å"a process of whereby an influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.†[2] Qualities of an ideal leader: There are five major traits or qualities of an ideal leader. Honesty Visionary Competent Inspiring Intelligent The great freedom fighter of India and the father of India Mahatma Gandhi was a perfect leader who had all the above mentioned traits in him. So he has always been the source of inspiration not only for the In dians but from the people all over the world. The uniqueness of his leadership lay in his unique doctrine of non-violence which was later adopted by Martin Luther King and many other leaders from all over the world. Leadership has the different styles like autocratic leadership, democratic leadership and free rein leadership. And the popularity of the leaders lies upon what method he uses in different circumstances. Napoleon was one of the most famous leaders in the world. He was a man of great vision and he would win the battle on the basis of this vision. Both Mahatma Gandhi and Napoleon understood the importance of winning people. Characteristics of good and bad leadership The success of any institution or any organization depends upon the leadership of that institution. Good leadership can shape the future while bad leadership can create disaster. Examples are two opposite leaders Mahatma Gandhi and Hitler. With an extraordinary unique and ideal leadership Mahatma Gandhi won the war of freedom. He fought the war with the unusual weapon of non violence and so his war is the only war which is known as a bloodless war. On the other hand Adolph Hitler’s leadership totally tends towards dictatorship, violence and bloodshed which led the people of Germany into anarchy and deterioration. The leader decides the future of his institute. Bad Leadership : Major Attributes Bad leadership is associated with the incompetence of the leader. While talking about the incompetence of the leadership, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, in his speech says, â€Å"Incompetent leaders are not necessarily incompetent in every aspect. Moreover, there are many ways of being incompetent. Some leaders lack practical, academic, or emotional intelligence.† Rigid leadership also is an example of bad leadership. The rigid leader is not ready to accept the changes. The changes are inevitable and they must be accepted and accordingly the leaders should adapt them. Adaptability means ac cepting the changes and adjusts ourselves according to the changing mode of circumstances. But if the leadership is rigid and refuse to accept the changes, the organization cannot survive in the modern world which tends to change consistently. Intemperate leadership is also risky for the organization. When the leader completely losses his control and is aided by his followers then he is no more capable of leading the people. Barbara Kellerman in her book â€Å"Bad Leadership,†

Police misconduct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police misconduct - Essay Example Another officer then appeared, and started feeling and searching the person in question. He also said to him: "I could be a real jerk..some officers would arrest you for not liking the way you look"(ibid). Another incident happened recently in San Diego and raised a storm in the media. This was the case where several women were arrested by El Cajon police officer named William Robert Taylor who allegedly made them perform sexual acts in return for their freedom. One case was thus described: "In one instance detailed in a Feb. 3 arrest warrant, a woman Taylor detained for petty theft in September 2005 at an El Cajon department store told police that Taylor forced her to disrobe and perform a sex act in the back seat of his patrol car while he stood outside and watched" (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060329-9999-2m29taylor.html ). The victim thought she had no options but to comply. Later Taylor claimed that the woman was not prompted to perform sexual act but that she willingly did it. There was yet another incident of the similar nature involving this same officer. This was when he arrested a woman for possession of marijuana plant and petty theft and told her that if she had sex with him he would not arrest her. These last two cases involve a questionable unethical behavior on the part of the police officer. The last case is somewhat more complex. It happened in Vancouver, BC, at the drug-ridden Downtown East Side. Apparently, the number of HIV infected drug users in this area has been alarming since the 1990's, and at the time when the said incident happened, in 2002, 40% of the residents of that area were HIV infected. This is higher than anywhere in Canada. This alarming fact prompted the health officials to start a safe injection needle exchange clinic, which was to be held outside, at the corner of Main and Hastings Street, which is where the greatest number of drug users can be found usually. The police had no right or warrant to close down the clinic. However, this is precisely what they did, as they alleged that there was illegal activity happening close by. This was a blow in the face of the drug addicts using heroin as well as the health officials who were concerned about more and more people getting infected with HIV virus due to the unsafe use of contaminated needles, which is apparently the quickest way for the HIV virus to enter one's bloodstream, quicker than sex for example. As in 2003 there was a new city major elected, he started a so-called 4-pillar approach to drug use in the city, which involved harm reduction, safe needle exchange sites and methadone program, as well as counseling. The police department asked the City council for permission to place more officers in the Downtown East Side, which was refused by the City council. However, the police still went ahead and, in addition to the 20 officers that were already there, they positioned another 40 officers from other areas of the city in the Downtown East Side. This made it almost impossible for the drug users to access the safe needle exchange clinic, as they had to bypass the police to get there. As the police were arresting people for drug possession,

Classification Of Marketing Research Designs

Classification Of Marketing Research Designs A research design is a model or blueprint for concluding the marketing research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve marketing research problems. Although a broad approach to the problem has already been developed, the research specifies the details- the nuts and bolts- of implementing the approach. A research design lays the foundation for conducting the project. A good research design will ensure that the marketing research project is conducted effectively and efficiently. Classification of Marketing Research Designs Research Design Conclusive Research Design Exploratory Research Design Descriptive Research Casual Research Cross-sectional Design Longitudinal Design Single Cross sectional Design Multiple Cross Sectional Design Exploratory Research: It is a type of research design whose primary objective is the provision of insights into and comprehension of the problem situation confronting the researcher. Conclusive Research: Research designed to assist the decision maker in determining, evaluating and selecting the best course of action to take in a given situation. Cross-sectional Design: A type of research design involving the collection of information from any given sample of population elements only once. Single cross-sectional design: A cross-sectional design in which one sample of respondents is drawn from the target population and information is obtained from this sample once. Multiple cross-sectional designs: A cross-sectional design in which there are two or more samples of respondents and information from each sample is obtained only once. Longitudinal designs: A type of research design involving a fixed sample of population elements that is measured repeatedly on the same variables. The sample remains the same over time, thus providing a series of pictures which, when viewed together, portray a vivid illustration of the situation and the changes that are taking place over time. Panel: A sample of respondents who have agreed to provide information at specified intervals over an extended period No Is the need for marketing research justified? Yes Define the research objectives Identify data needs No Are suitable data resources available? Identify data sources Yes No Are some secondary resources capable of providing all data needed Yes Choose appropriate design and data collection method Obtain the secondary data Design research instrument Identify the sample Collect data including any relevant secondary data Analyze and interpret data Terminate project Present research findings. Step 1: Justify the Need for Marketing Research A logical starting point for discussing the marketing research process is the issue of whether to conduct a proposed research project. Four considerations influence the decision: the potential usefulness of the research results: managements attitudes toward the research: the resources available for implementing the research results: and the costs of the research projects versus the benefits. Step 2: Define the Research Objective Questions about what we want to find out and why are crucial to the effectiveness of any project. Indeed, our discussion of whether or not of research project is worthwhile assumed that the research purpose was well defined. We cannot meaningfully evaluate the costs and potential benefits of research unless we have clearly established the answers to what and why. Step 3: Identify Data Needs Identifying specific data needs means scrutinizing the research purpose and listing the kinds of data required to accomplish that purpose. Step 4: Identify Data Sources After identifying data needs, the next logical step is to locate sources capable of providing the data. The relative ease or difficulty of locating data sources will depend on the nature of the information desired. Secondary Data are data that have already been collected by and are readily available from other sources. Primary data are data collected for specific research needs. The importance of time frame. If no resource is available for the kinds of data needed in a particular project within the time frame, the company should abandon the research project at this stage rather than pursue it further: the results will undoubtedly worth it. Step 5: Choose an Appropriate Research Design and Data Collection Method After determining the research objectives and the nature of the data to be collected, the researchers must choose an appropriate research design, which in turn will influence what tasks they will perform in the remainder of the project. The research design may be exploratory or conclusive. Exploratory Research helps researchers gain some initial insights and may pave the way for future research. For instance, an industrial product firm wishing to generate some ideas for improving its product line can do so through informal discussions with selected customers and distributors. Conclusive Research helps researchers verify insights and select the appropriate course of action. Conclusive research can be either descriptive or experimental. A research proposal is a document that briefly describes the purpose and scope, specific objectives, sample designs, data collection procedures, data analysis plan, timetable and estimated cost for the contemplated project. Step 6: Design the Research Instrument The step of developing the data collection instrument or formed is relevant when a research project requires primary data collection. Although designing a data collection form may appear easy, certain aspects of the form, if not handled carefully, can seriously affect the quality and nature of the data. Step 7: Identify the Sample Designing a sample to collect primary data means clearly specifying who, or which units, should provide the needed data. This step may offer some general guidance for designing the sample. The method of choosing individuals depends on whether a profitable or non profitable sampling method is used. In a Profitable Sample, each component in a population has a known, non-zero chance of inclusion. Non Profitable Sampling is a subjective procedure in which the probability of selection for each population unit is known beforehand. Step 8: Collect the Data Once the data collection form and sample research are ready the next step is to collect the data. Before data analysis can begin, the responses generated by the data collection procedures must be checked for completeness, consistency and adherence to pre specified instructions. The process of examining the responses and taking the necessary corrective action to ensure they are of high quality is called editing. The edited responses also need to be put into a form that is ready for analysis. This transformation is called coding. Step 9: Analyze and Interpret the Data Analysis and interpretation are integral parts of marketing research. The types of analysis permissible in a project depend on the nature of the data, which in turn can be affected by factors such as the type of data collection used. Step 10: Present Research findings The last step in the marketing research process is to prepare a report that communicates the result of the research to decision makers. This step is critical to the process. Only through a clear and convincing report can the findings and conclusions reached by the market researcher be implemented. Marketing Research for the BK Broiler Chicken Sandwich Step 1: Justify the need for Marketing Research In 1998 the BK Broiler chicken sandwich was suffering from low sales. BK needed research to identify and develop a winning positioning strategy that would appeal to women. In short, the proposed research project appeared to be worthwhile not only because the results were needed, but also because adequate resources were available to implement the research results. Step 2: Define the Research Objective The main objective of the research project was to find out what would be the best way to position a new broiled chicken sandwich among the target market. The proposed sandwich was smaller than the current one, had fewer fat grams and used whole muscle product as opposed to the existing formed-chicken patty. The sandwich was made with a corn-dusted bun, used Savory Grill sauce, and was topped with shredded vegetables. Thus the primary purpose was to obtain consumer reactions to four different ways to position the new chicken sandwich in the marketplace. The four positioning considered for the concept/taste test were: Choice White Meat/Chicken Breast Backyard BBQ Taste Marinated Special Blend/Home style Taste Competitive Claim (concept only) Step 3 and 4: Identify Data Needs and Data Sources BKs data requirements fell into four classes: Purchase Intention Measures-The purchase intention measure was to be used to assess the likelihood that respondents would buy the sandwich. Overall Product Diagnostics-BK wanted to obtain data to understand the reasons underlying the intended purchase measures. Of interest to BKs product management were consumers overall judgements of the product concept, measuring uniqueness or differentiation from other products, inherent interest, and value for the money. Attribute Diagnostics-To focus further positioning and development efforts. BK needed data about specific product attributes that led people to buy chicken sandwiches. Respondent Profiling Variables-Data on demographics were deemed important to understanding customers fast-food eating habits. Step 5: Choose an Appropriate Research Design BK hired an outside research agency to design and execute the marketing research study. The project was basically conclusive experimental research. BK and the research agency were clear about the types of information they wanted. Step 6: Design the Research Instrument or Form- The agency developed a well structured questionnaire to collect the necessary data about the concept and the respondents. It consisted the following: Pre-recruiting screening questions Concept evaluation questions (only for qualified respondents) Taste test (only for those who gave neutral or positive responses to the concept) Classification questions Step 7: Identify the Sample The sample for this study was identified earlier as a group who had eaten chicken in a fast-food restaurant at least once in the past 3 months. The sample consisted of the following: Approximately 65% female and 35% male(skewed toward women to reflect the expected user base for the new broiled chicken sandwich) Approximately 50% ages 18 to 34 and 50% ages 35 to 54 Approximately 50% BK users and 50% non-BK users(within the past 4 weeks) Step 8: Collect the Data A total of 835 interviews were conducted among pre-recruited consumers at malls in 10 different geographic locations. Approximately 150 taste tests were conducted for the first three positioning. Step 9: Analyze and Interpret the Data The study found that interest in trying the product was driven by a positive pre-disposition toward the chicken sandwich, as well as how appetizing the product looked (in the picture).In the Taste Test Study, consumers rated the product very favorably. Step 10: Present Research Findings to Decision Makers Based on these findings, BKs Consumer Research Group recommended the Choice White Meat/Chicken Breast positioning. The sandwich performed well among women (the intended target market) and among non-BK users and the 35 to 54 age group rated the sandwich very favorably. However, the researchers also suggested that additional studies were needed to determine the best name and price for the sandwich. Purchase intent for BK Broiler Chicken Sandwich choice White Meat/ Chicken Breast Positioning Among Key Subgroups Choice White Meat/Chicken Breast positioning generated the highest level of definitely would buy/ probably would buy purchase intent scores. Of the total 208 respondents who were exposed to the Choice White Meat positioning, 43% rated it as definitely would buy and 83% rated it as definitely or probably would buy. To measure purchase intention, the respondents were asked: How likely would you be to buy this product if it were available at Burger King? Definitely would buy 5 Probably would buy 4 Might or might not buy 3 Probably would not buy 2 Definitely would not buy 1 TYPES OF RESEARCH DATA PRIMARY VERSUS SECONDARY DATA Primary data are originated by at researcher for the purpose of addressing the problem at hand. The collection of primary data involves all six steps of the marketing research process. Obtaining primary data can be expensive and time consuming. Secondary data are data that have already been collected for purposes other than the problem at hand. These data can be located quickly and inexpensively. A comparison of primary and secondary data Primary Data Secondary Data Collection Purpose For the problem at hand For other problems Collection Process Very involved Rapid and easy Collection Cost High Relatively low Collection Time Long Short ADVANTAGES AND USES OF SECONDARY DATA Identify the problem. Better define the problem. Develop an approach to the problem. Formulate an appropriate research design. Answer certain research questions and test some hypothesis. Interpret primary data more insightfully. The general rule that is followed is: Examination of available secondary data is a prerequisite to the collection of primary data. Start with secondary data. Proceed to primary data only when the secondary data resources have been exhausted or yield marginal returns. DISADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY DATA The objectives, nature, and methods used to collect the secondary data may not be appropriate to the present situation. It may be lacking in accuracy. It may not be completely correct or dependable. Before using secondary data, it is important to evaluate them on the above mentioned factors. Classification of Secondary Data Ready to Use Syndicated Services Computerized Databases Requires further Processing Published Materials External Internal Secondary data Internal Data are those generated within the organization which conducts the research. This information may be available in a ready-to use format, such as information routinely supplied by the management decision support system. For example: Extensive analysis was conducted on internal secondary data in the department store patronage project. This provided several rich insights. For example, sales were analyzed. To obtain: Sales by product line. Sales by major department. Sales by specific stores. Sales by geographical region. Sales by cash versus credit purchases. Sales in specific time periods. Sales by size of purchase. Sales trends in many of these classifications. External Data are those generated by sources outside the organization. These data are present in the form of published material, databases or information that are available by syndicate services. Before collecting external secondary data, it is useful to analyze internal secondary data. Database Marketing involves the usage of computers to attract and identify customer and purchase details. This secondary information serves as the foundation for marketing programs or as an internal source of information related to customer behavior. For many companies, the first step in creating a database is to transfer raw sales information. Published Secondary Data Published Secondary Data General Business Sources Government Sources Indexes Directories Census Data Other Government Publications Statistical Data Guides General Business Data Businesses publish a lot of information in the form of books, periodicals, journals, magazines, news papers and trade literature. This information can be located by using guides, directories and indexes. Sources are also available for identifying statistical data. Guides Guides are an excellent source of standard or recurring information. A guide may help identify other major sources of directories trade associations and trade publications. Guides are one of the first sources a researcher should consult. Some of the most useful are the American Marketing Association Bibliography Series, Business Information Sources, Data Sources for Business and Market Analysis, and Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources. Directories Directories are helpful for identifying individuals or organizations that collect specific data. Some of the important directories include Directories in Print, Consultants and Consulting Organizations Directory, Encyclopedia of Associations, Studies and Surveys, and Research Services Directory. Indexes It is possible to locate information on a particular topic in several different publications using an index. Indexes can, therefore, increase the efficiency of the search process. Other Government Publications In addition to the census, the federal government collects and publishes a great deal of statistical data. The more useful publications are Business Conditions Digest Business Statistics, Index to Publications, Statistical Abstract of the United States, and Survey of Current Business. Classification of Computerized Databases Computerized Databases Bibliographic Databases Numeric Databases Full-text Databases Special-Purpose Databases Directory Databases Internet Offline Online Online database consist of a central data bank, which is accessed with a computer via a telecommunications network. Internet Databases can be accessed, located, and analysed on the internet. The data can be downloaded from the internet and stored in a computer or an auxiliary storage device. Offline databases make the information available on diskettes and CD-ROM disks. Thus, offline databases can be accessed at the users location without the use of an external telecommunications network. Sources of International Secondary Data International Secondary Data International Organizations Domestic Organizations in the U.S. Organizations in Foreign Countries International Organizations in the U.S, Government Sources Non Government Sources Governments Trade Associations A wide variety of secondary data are available for international marketing research. As in the case of domestic research, the problem is not one of lack of data but of the plethora of information available, and it is useful to classify the various sources as shown in the diagram above. Domestic organizations in the United States, both government and non-governmental source, can provide valuable secondary international data. The important government sources are The Department of Commerce, The Agency for International Development, The Small Business Administration, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, The Department of Agriculture Department of State, Department of Labor, and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Department of Commerce offers not only a number of publications, but also a variety of services as illustrated in the above diagram. Classification of Marketing Research Data Marketing Research Data Secondary Data Primary Data Quantitative Data Qualitative Data Descriptive Survey Data Experimental Data Observational and Other Data Casual Qualitative Research provide a clear perception of a situation and understanding of the problem setting using unstructured, exploratory research methodologies based on little samples. Quantitative Research is a research methodology that looks out to quantify a particular data and apply some of statically analysis. Quantitative versus Qualitative Research Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Objective To gain a qualitative objective of the underlying reasons and motivations. To quantify the data and generalize the results from the sample to the population of interest. Sample Small number of no representative cases. Large number of representative cases. Data Collection Unstructured Structured Data Analysis Non statistical Statistical Outcome Develop an initial understanding Recommend a final course of action. Classification of Qualitative Research Procedures Qualitative Research Procedures Indirect (Disguised) Direct (No disguised) Projective Techniques Depth Interviews Focus Groups Association Techniques Expressive Techniques Completion Techniques Construction Techniques Direct Approach A type of research in which the purposes of the project are made known to the respondent or are obvious, given the nature of the interview Indirect Approach A type of research in which the main purposes of the project are masked from the respondents Focus Group Interview An interview conducted by a well trained moderator in a nonstructural and natural manner with a very little group of respondents. The moderators lead the discussion. The main purpose of focus groups is to gain insights by listening to a group of people from the appropriate target market talk about issues of interest to the researcher. Characteristics Group Size 8 to 12 Group Composition Homogeneous; respondents prescreened Physical setting Relaxed, informal atmosphere Time duration 1 to 3 hours Recording Use of audiocassettes and videotapes Moderator Observational, interpersonal, and communication skills of the moderator. Depth Interviews An unstructured, straight forward, personal interview in which a single respondent is probed by a highly trained interviewer to uncover fundamental motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings on a topic Focus Groups versus Depth Interviews Characteristic Focus Groups Depth Interviews Group synergy and dynamics + Peer pressure/group influence + Client involvement + Generation of innovative ideas + In-depth probing of individuals + Uncovering hidden motives + Discussion of sensitive topics + Interviewing respondents who are competitors + Interviewing respondents who are professionals + Scheduling of respondents + Amount of information + Bias in moderation and interpretation + Cost per respondent + Projective Techniques An unstructured and indirect form of questioning encourages the respondents to project their fundamental motivations, beliefs, attitudes, or feelings regarding the issues of concern. Advantages and Disadvantages of Projective Techniques Projective techniques have a major advantage over the unstructured direct techniques. They may elicit responses that subjects would be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study. At times, in direct questioning, the respondent may intentionally or unintentionally misunderstand or mislead the researcher. In these cases, projective techniques can increase the validity of responses by disguising the purpose. This is particularly true when the issues to be addressed are personal, sensitive or subject to social norms. Projective techniques are also helpful when underlying motivations, beliefs and attitudes are operating at a subconscious level. Projective techniques suffer from many of the demerits of unstructured direct techniques, but to a greater extent. These techniques generally require personal interviews with highly trained interviewers. Skilled interpreters are also required to analyze the responses. Hence, they tend to be expensive. Some projective techniques, such as role playing, require respondents to engage in unusual behavior. In such cases, the researcher may assume that respondents who agree to participate are themselves unusual in some way. Therefore, they may not be representative of the population of interest. Association Techniques It is a type of technique where the respondent is presented with a stimulus and asked to react with the first thing that comes to the respondents mind Word Association A projective technique in which respondents are presented one at a time with a list of words. After each word, they are asked to give the first word that comes to mind. Completion Techniques In completion techniques, the respondent is asked to complete an incomplete stimulus situation. Common completion techniques in marketing research are sentence completion and story completion. Sentence Completion It is similar to word association. Respondents are given incomplete sentences and asked to complete them. Generally, they are asked to use the first word or phrase that comes to mind. Story Completion A projective technique in which the respondents are provided with part of a story and required to give the conclusion in their own words Construction Techniques They are closely related to completion techniques. Construction techniques require the respondent to construct a response in the form of a story, dialogue, or description. In a construction technique, the researcher provides less initial structure to the respondent than in a completion technique. The 2 main construction techniques are (1) Picture response (2) Cartoons Picture Response A projective technique in which the respondent is shown a picture and asked to tell a story describing it Cartoon Tests Cartoon characters are shown in a specific situation related to the problem. The respondents are asked to indicate the dialogue that one cartoon character might make in response to the comments of another character. Expressive Techniques In expressive techniques, respondents are presented with a verbal or visual situation and asked to relate the feelings and attitudes of other people to the situation. The respondents express not their own feelings or attitudes, but those of others. The 2 main expressive techniques are role playing and third-person technique. Role Playing In role playing, respondents are asked to play the role or assume the behavior of someone else. The researcher assumes that the respondents will project their own feelings into the role. These can then be uncovered by analyzing the response. Third-Person Technique A projective technique in which the respondent is presented with a verbal or visual situation and asked to relate the beliefs and attitudes of a third person to the situation. This third person may be a friend, neighbor, colleague, or a typical person. INTRODUCTION History of Marketing Research Pioneers Marketing Research as an organized business activity began between 1910 and 1920. The appointment of Charles Collidge Parlin as manager of the Commercial Research Division of the Advertising Department of the Curtis Publishing Company in 1911 is generally noted to be the beginning of marketing research. Parlins success led several industrial firms and advertising media to establish research divisions. In 1915, the United States Rubber Company hired Dr. Paul H. Nystrom to manage a newly established Department of Commercial Research. In 1917, Swift and Company hired Dr. Louis D. H. Weld from Yale University to become manager of their Commercial Research Department. In 1919, Professor C.S. Duncan of the University of Chicago published Commercial Research: An Outline of Working Principles, considered to be the first major book on commercial research. In 1921, Percival Whites Market Analysis was published; the first research book to gain a large readership, it went through several editions. Market Research and Analysis by Lyndon O. Brown, published in 1937, became one of the most popular college textbooks of the period, reflecting the growing interest in marketing research on the college campus. After 1940, numerous research textbooks were published and the number of business schools offering research courses grew rapidly. Following World War II, the growth of marketing research increased dramatically. By 1948, more than two hundred Marketing Research organizations had been created in the United States. An estimated $50 million was spent on marketing research activities in 1947. Over the next three decades this expenditure level increased more than tenfold (Kinnear, 1991). Marketing Research vs. Market Research These terms often are used interchangeably, but technically there is a difference. Market research deals specifically with the gathering of information about a markets size and trends. Marketing research covers a wider range of activities. While it may involve market research, marketing research is a more general systematic process that can be applied to a variety of marketing problems. The Value of Information Information can be useful, but what determines its real value to the organization? In general, the value of information is determined by: The ability and willingness to act on the information. The accuracy of the information. The level of indecisiveness that would exist without the information. The amount of

Hockey-The Rodney Dangerfield Of Sports Essay -- essays research paper

Hockey, The Rodney Dangerfield Of Sports   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the US, there are four major sports; football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Out of the four, hockey gets the least amount of respect. This is something that bothers me as hockey player and fan, and it also bothers other hockey fans around the country. They way that hockey is covered in the newspapers, on television, and not just professional hockey. It goes the same for college hockey and also high school hockey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets start at the top with the NHL. The NHL has a TV deal with ESPN and ABC so that the two companies share the Stanley Cup Finals. The NHL’s championship series. (It should also be noted that ABC owns ESPN). The problem with TV deal is that ESPN is a paid for cable station, which means that you can only watch the finals games on ESPN if you have cable. Because of this, hockey doesn’t get as much exposure as other sports do too a new audience. The World Series is on FOX or NBC, the NBA Finals are on NBC, and the Super Bowl is on FOX, CBS, or ABC. All of those stations are free to a viewer with a television. There is no monthly charge for service of those stations unlike ESPN. This is where hockey gets shafted, the NHL is the only sport that has its championship game or series on cable TV where only a specific audience as access to it as opposed to the entire nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But it is not just the Cup Finals that are on cable te...

Legal Aspects of Air Transportation

Legal Aspects of Air Transportation Kevinn A. Narvaez Y00285940 AWSC 3200 Air Transportation Prof. Ocasio Table of Contents IntroductionPage 3 Main EssayPage 4 ConclusionPage 6 ReferencesPage 7 Introduction: Air Transportation is one of the fastest growing sectors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, as such, it is subject to an increasing legal requirements. Many legal requirements has to do with the financial side of the air transportation business, specifically financial and documentation matters. These legal requirements are usually decided via yearly ICAO and IATA meetings, but also via special conferences, such as the Chicago Conference and the Havana Conference, where major changes in international air transportation were made. In this project we will look at some of the different legal measures taken to ensure fair competition and standardize business practices in the international air transportation industry. We will also look at some of the international agreements regarding air transportation, and the effects that they have had on the industry. Main Essay: International air transportation is an example of a politically- dependent business. International agreements and disagreements affect were, how, when, and how frequently air carriers fly to international destinations. A clear example of this is the embargo against Cuba, flights from the United States to Cuba are extremely heavily regulated. In many other instances, politics have played an important role in determini ng international air transportation policy, and as such, international air transportation, is in a constant state of flux. A tragic example of a flight that was caught in the bad side of international disputes was Korean Airlines Flight 007, which was shot down over the former Soviet Union during September of 1983, a period during which relationships between East and West were at a straining point. Likewise, many laws affect the citizens of a particular nation, such as the Fly America Act, which obligates United States federal employees and their families to fly primarily on air carriers from the United States. This functions as a trade boon for American air carriers, virtually guaranteeing large revenues on international flights as well as domestic flights. 4 The Fly America Act was not the first legal action placed on international air transportation, we can go as far back the Chicago and Havana Conventions, and find evidence of legal actions imposed on air transportation. These legal actions are numerous, and include the â€Å"Nine Freedoms of the Air,† and the Montreal Convention, which establishes legal boundaries and requirements for law suits involving air carriers and passengers. Of course, the legal effects of air transportation have an effect on the economics of the business, when nations go to war, and declare blockades, airlines have to increase ticket prices to cover operational risks and other factors not planned for. With increased cost comes less reward, and eventually, the airline may have to shut down the route due to excessive costs. 5 Conclusion: The legal aspects of air transportation are numerous, and their effects are not only far-reaching, but powerful in their scope. As such, many airliners are subject to their rule, and have had to adjust their operations to compensate for these legal bindings. As we have seen, the legal affects don't just encompass laws and trade agreements, but also international politics and disputes. More often than not, air carriers prefer to not operate in areas that have been involved in international conflicts, for the sake of the passengers and the aircrew. The future of air transportation law is highly unpredictable, with nations making and breaking agreements every day. However, this does not exclude the airline industry from adapting to the changing legal climate as it has done in the past. Hopefully, in the future more agreements like the â€Å"Open Skies† act and the â€Å"Nine Freedoms of the Air† will cause the airline industry to flourish. 6 References: Air Transportation; Xunta de Galicia. Retrieved on 27/Nov/2009http://www. bygalicia. eu/en/keys_to_internationalisation/logistics_and_distribution/transport/air_transport/ International Civil Aviation, various, Retrieved on 27/Nov/2009 http://www. centennialofflight. gov/essay/Government_Role/Intl_Civil/POL19. htm Air Transport Law and Policy in the 1990's: Controlling the Boom, Aberson, Emile; Mendes de Leon, Pablo. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1991 http://books. google. com. pr/books? id=yEvwGJnaZ-YC&pg=PA157&lpg=PA157&dq=legal+aspects+air+transport&source=bl&ots=QDO9UM67k4&sig=GjFZpfrImlsDED3UvuGuDUKHVZE&hl=en&ei=0nAWS4ecEs2ztgfMraj7BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAjgy#v=onepage&q=legal%20aspects%20air%20transport&f=false Korean Air Lines Flight 007, various, retrieved on 27/Nov/2009 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007 Montreal Conference, ICAO. Retrieved on 28/Nov/2009 28/Nov. 2009http://www. jus. uio. no/lm/air. carriage. unification. convention. montreal. 1999/ 7

Land Rover Essay

The automotive industry has been better days. Many auto companies are now facing declining revenues and negative profits. Additionally, because of its primary dependence on products that consume petroleum, the auto industry has a big environmental black eye, especially companies that primarily make gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. During the past few years, however, Land Rover has experienced tremendous growth in revenues and profits, It is currently selling more vehicles than ever worldwide. How is this possible for a company that only sells SUVs? One of the biggest reasons is Land Rover’s strategic focus on social responsibility and environmentalism. Land Rover believes that it can meet consumer needs for luxury all-terrain vehicles while at the same time providing a vehicle that is kinder to the environment. As a corporation, it is also working feverishly to reduce its carbon emission, reduce waste, and reduce water consumption and pollution. With actions like this, Land Rover is successfully repositioning its brand away from the standard perceptions of SUVs as environmental enemies. After viewing the video featuring Land Rover, answer the following question about the company’s efforts toward social responsibility: 1. Make a list of social criticisms of the automotive industry. Discuss all of the ways that Land Rover is combating those criticisms. 2. By the textbook’s definition, does Land Rover practice’ sustainable marketing? 3. Do you believe that Land Rover is sincere in its efforts to be environmentally friendly? Is it even possible for a large SUV to be environmentally friendly? Present support for both sides of these arguments.

Free Essays on Animism

The term animism is derived from the Latin word anima meaning breath or soul. The belief of animism is probably one of man's oldest beliefs, with its origin most likely dating to the Paleolithic age. From its earliest beginnings it was a belief that a soul or spirit existed in every object, even if it was inanimate. In a future state this soul or spirit would exist as part of an immaterial soul. The spirit, therefore, was thought to be universal. There have been sharp divisions of thought as to the original concept of animism held by primitive peoples. A British anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor in his "Primitive Culture" defined animism as a general belief in spiritual beings and considered it a minimum definition of religion. He stated all religions from the simplest to the most complex shared some sort of animistic belief. According to him primitive peoples, defined as those without a written tradition, believed the spirits or souls caused life in human beings. They pictur ed these souls as vapors or shadows going from one body to another. The souls not only passed between human beings but into, plants, animals and inanimate objects as well. Tylor reasoned primitive man arrived at his animistic belief to help him explain the causes of sleep, dreams, and death. There naturally aroused a need to distinguish between an individual who was awake and one, who was asleep, or an individual who lived and one who did not. Also there was a need to give a reason for the pictures some saw when they slept. The spirits were the early man's explanations. Tylor was criticized by another British anthropologist Robert Ranulph Marett who was convinced that primitive man had not developed the intellectual to form even such simplistic explanations as Tylor proposed. Marett suggested early religion was more emotional and intuitional in origin. He theorized that early man recognized some inanimate objects because they had some particular characte... Free Essays on Animism Free Essays on Animism The term animism is derived from the Latin word anima meaning breath or soul. The belief of animism is probably one of man's oldest beliefs, with its origin most likely dating to the Paleolithic age. From its earliest beginnings it was a belief that a soul or spirit existed in every object, even if it was inanimate. In a future state this soul or spirit would exist as part of an immaterial soul. The spirit, therefore, was thought to be universal. There have been sharp divisions of thought as to the original concept of animism held by primitive peoples. A British anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor in his "Primitive Culture" defined animism as a general belief in spiritual beings and considered it a minimum definition of religion. He stated all religions from the simplest to the most complex shared some sort of animistic belief. According to him primitive peoples, defined as those without a written tradition, believed the spirits or souls caused life in human beings. They pictur ed these souls as vapors or shadows going from one body to another. The souls not only passed between human beings but into, plants, animals and inanimate objects as well. Tylor reasoned primitive man arrived at his animistic belief to help him explain the causes of sleep, dreams, and death. There naturally aroused a need to distinguish between an individual who was awake and one, who was asleep, or an individual who lived and one who did not. Also there was a need to give a reason for the pictures some saw when they slept. The spirits were the early man's explanations. Tylor was criticized by another British anthropologist Robert Ranulph Marett who was convinced that primitive man had not developed the intellectual to form even such simplistic explanations as Tylor proposed. Marett suggested early religion was more emotional and intuitional in origin. He theorized that early man recognized some inanimate objects because they had some particular characte...

Rectal Cancer essays

Rectal Cancer essays Rectal Cancer is a disease where cancer cells are found in the tissues of the rectum. It is a highly treatable cancer if localized. The rectum is the last eight to ten inches of the large intestine in the digestive system, and has two muscle mechanisms involved in expelling fecal matters, the internal and external sphincter. The experience of rectal cancer may begin with your doctor discovering it first, or by discovering the symptoms. People assume that they have piles or hemorrhoids when they have discomfort in the rectal area. Sometimes, this just is not the case. In fact, the Hemorrhoid Care Medical Clinic said, 90% of people that have rectal cancer assumed they had hemorrhoids instead of cancer.(Hemorroid.net) Besides hemorrhoids, there are many symptoms to rectal cancer. These signs may help a person find it before it is too late. Some symptoms are: Changes in bowel movements like narrow stool, bloody stool, black stool, diarrhea, constipation, and bowel obstruction. Also, there could be fever and pain, rectal bleeding, stomach pains and cramps, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, anemia (low red blood cell count), constant visits to the restroom, pain in genital tissue, and an urgent need to urinate.(Colon and Rectal Cancer) Before going any further, there are some important facts to know about rectal cancer. 90 percent of all rectal cancer deaths are preventable, when found early; survival can be increased from 62% to 81% that means that 56,000 patients will live. 1 in 17 Americans will get rectal cancer and it is the second most common cancer death in America. The five year survival rate is 90% if the patient takes medication and makes the needed visits to the doctor.(Hemorroid.net) Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Cancer affecting any of these areas is referred as colorectal cancer. Cancer in these parts oc...

Analysis Of ‘Memoirs Of A Geisha’

Analysis Of Memoirs Of A Geisha But only Chiyo ends up in a geisha house, an okiya, her sister becomes a prostitute. Chiyo stays in the Nitta-okiya. Here lives the most successful geisha of Gion: Hatsumomo. She is a real bitch and she tries to make Chiyo’s life as miserable as possible. Chiyo’s only friend in the okiya is Pumpkin. Pumpkin has the same age as Chiyo and together they go to a geisha school. Chiyo tries to escape from the Nitta-okiya but she failed. Now she has to quit her school and work as a maid in the okiya. Mameha is another successful geisha and she’s the biggest enemy of Hatsumomo. She becomes Chiyo’s big sister and teach her to be a geisha. c. Hope, destiny. d. Sayuri is the I person in the book. She’s the narrator. You see the things through her eyes. e. Hatsumomo: She’s the mean geisha from the Nitta-okiya. She’s very handsome but also very mean. Chiyo is a big rival for Hatsumomo and she will do anything to make her look bad. Pumpkin: Sheâ₠¬â„¢s Chiyo’s only friend in the okiya. She’s not very handsome but she’s not ugly at all. Chiyo named her Pumpkin because when she’s working on something, her tongue is hanging out of her mouth. Now everybody calls her Pumpkin. The Chairman: Chiyo meets the chairman when she’s only a child who is crying on a bidge because she misses her sister. The chairman says that the day is too beautiful to cry and he buys her an ice cream. He gives the change and his wiper to her. Chiyo keeps his wiper forever. Right at this moment Chiyo decides that she really want to be a geisha and that she wants to see him again someday. Nobu: Nobu is a weird person. He doesn’t want to know anything about geisha’s. He is the chairman’s business partner. When he sees Sayuri (Chiyo’s geisha name), he’s sold and want to see her more often. He is even thinking about become her Danna. A Danna is a protector of a geisha, the Danna pays everyth ing for the geisha en she’s keeping him company instead. f. The story takes most of the time place in Japan. Most of this is in Kyoto and the area around Kyoto. At the beginning the story is in the little village Yoroido. The story also takes you to the south of Tokyo and islands in the south of Japan. In the end you end up in New York. g. The story starts in the year 1929 and ends in the 1970’s. I know that because of some dates that were in the book and because of the age of the main character. The end date is a guess, I don’t know for sure. The story is told chronologically but in fact the whole book is a huge flashback because it is told after it happened. Sayuri/Chiyo looks back on her days as a Geisha.

Aging in Western Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aging in Western Society - Essay Example Something that is intrinsic to every individual in the world we live in, be the person a he or she, white, black or brown from whatever gender, language or age. This inherent dignity of men and women behooves us to treat all of them as equals. Why should the elderly therefore not have the care, the services, or privileges that children, youth and younger men and women have? The case could be made out that they should have more as the majority of them have already served society by caring and working in various ways. Even if they have been mere consumers they have contributed in untold ways to the profit of conglomerates and the existence of generations after them. There is a debt of gratitude that is owed to them which cannot be ignored or swept aside because they have aged. Because they were, we are. Mental ascent alone that the elderly should be cared for alone will not do. We should put our money where our mouth is. We must ensure that there is adequate care for the elderly. A tho rough investigation has to be undertaken as to the resources enjoyed by this segment of society compared to other demographic segments and the affect it has on their welfare or poverty. There is a moral responsibility for us to ensure that the aged enjoy there freedom of choice as long a possible which preserves their endowed dignity and lets them live in the security of their homes up until the day that it is simply impossible. It is imperative therefore that the number of geriatrics who are serving the aged populace must be increased, the poverty levels faced by them must reduce the stabilizing right they enjoy staying in surroundings familiar to them must be protected. The most consistent thing about aging is that it occurs throughout the person’s lifetime. The complexity arises out of the fact that aging in a person is multifaceted. It can occur in a macro sense in a sense of his whole being in somewhat

Assigment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assigment - Assignment Example Personality is made up of Id, Ego and Super Ego. For some humans like Tom the Id takes over the Ego and especially Self Ego (voice of conscious that focuses on how we have to behave). Id is the energy constantly striving to satisfy the basic driver i.e. the principle of pleasure. This Principle drives a human being to fulfill our desires, even if it is by selfish means. (Atkinson, 1987) C. It is the interaction one has with his or her environment. Peeping Tom may have not received the right environment according to Carl Rogers and never realized his full potential. He was involved in wrong doings from his childhood, and the reason for these wrong doings can be associated with his friends and peers. He is just doing what he enjoys doing without considering the feelings of others.(Atkinson, 1987) 2.) A. In doing an experiment to test the effects of caffeine on a 20 word list, I would set up a control group and an experimental group. The control group will not be treated with caffeine a nd the experimental group will be given caffeine. The independent variable will be the amount of caffeine given and the dependent variable will be the memory of people after consuming caffeine. B. Two things that could act as extraneous variables might be eating something else in between and the environmental conditions. A very cool or a very hot environment can also affect any person’s behavior. C. ... E. Experimental Bias could be operating in this instance if some people are given little amounts of caffeine as compared to other in the experimental group. F. If results are statistically significant, it means caffeine have a good impact on the learning of people. It enhances their memory and learning power. (Plotnik, 2002) 3.) A. Students’ sleepiness or dizziness rate- When they consume more caffeine they don’t sleep in class and stay awake throughout the lecture. They tend to be more vigilant during classroom and hence productivity is enhanced. Active- They tend to be more active during classroom and class room participation is enhanced. Students participate more in class activities. (Hilgard, 1967) B. Consuming caffeine makes them stay awake late at night completing assignments due to which they are sluggish during university hours. Even though they can consume more caffeine, their health is negatively affected. Headaches are common in university students. Also due to caffeine consumption, they do stay awake but addiction causes them to go to sleep whenever its affect is perished. (Hilgard, 1967) 4.) There are processes involved in memory as levels of processing theory say. According to this theory, a person has to pass through a series of processes to actually recall a memory and permanently recall it. It then becomes a well recalled memory eventually. However, according to information processing theory, the mind of human being is like a computer. It can recall any memory it wants to at any time and can permanently recall it, it then becomes a well recalled memory that cannot be forgotten. (Hilgard, 1967) 5.) A. Classical conditioning is the basic form of

Teaching Prediction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teaching Prediction - Essay Example The first step encourages metacognitive thinking by having the students think about their own life experiences in relation to the article. A brief explanation of the article or story is presented and students pause to try and make connections with the topic to their own life experiences. This is also the step when students would think about prior learning if the reading were a summary or culminating activity relative to learning in another school subject. Making connections across the curriculum through reading has been shown to also help students retain more important information. The second step in the process is a question sequence that begins with a stated main idea. This is then followed with a question designed to get students to think about how this main idea is connected to their prior learning and experiences. Students are then instructed to write a prediction about what the article or story will say about the main idea based on the students personal experiences with the subject. The last step involves the independent reading of the story or article. They then discuss their predictions as a class and compare their past experiences to the information and experiences conveyed in the text. This method is especially appropriate for a sixth grade literature class. Children this age have had enough life experiences to have a broader range of existing knowledge to draw upon, allowing for a more diverse conversation about each topic. Also, as young adolescents, sixth graders have a growing awareness of themselves. Their metacognitive abilities are rapidly developing or ripe to be developed. Finally, I feel that this is an especially good method to use for sixth grade students because students this age a capable of sustained independent reading. Individual students will vary in their proficiency at this task, but most will be able to accomplish the third step

Factors an Organization Needs To Consider When Developing a Global Assignment - 1

Factors an Organization Needs To Consider When Developing a Global Staffing Strategy - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the global staffing strategy would incorporate the perspectives of the people as to how they view the entire working mechanism of the world and what the different nations bring to the fore with their respective working realms Hence creating and eventually developing a global staffing strategy is a Herculean task if seen within the proper scheme of things as it cultivates a sense of trust and empathy within the region where the headquarters are located. The expatriates working within the different nations of the world is an enticing opportunity for the staffing avenues that have shaped up with the passage of time. The global staffing strategy with regards to these expatriates gets its basis from the management hierarchies which are present within the organization itself. It is their decision to find out how the organization will have its own staff situated at the different locations worldwide, where it exists to satisfy the varied customers. What is interes ting to note here is the fact that these people who are recruited could either be from the locations where the office domains have been set up or recruited from the headquarters themselves. The need is to select and hire people who understand the dictum of the organization more than anything else, and this can only be done through an understanding which is based on the collective understanding of the global staffing strategy which has been in place now for some amount of time. If the right people get hired at the different locations where the business is run, this would mean that the entire organization would benefit as a result of the same. However, if this is not the case, then the global staffing strategy would implicate to a failure without a doubt, and this would mean that the recruiting issues have not been resolved in an amicable fashion. The role of the human resources management departments within the headquarters and the separate locations all around the world are signific antly more so because they perform tasks which could be easily replicated across the board if proper vision and a sense of purpose exist. If there is a lack of such visionary elements, then this would suggest for a lack of comprehension on the part of the global staffing strategy that has been adopted by the organization.

Social Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Issues - Research Paper Example However that is not the case. On the contrary has been the cause of radical growth in the middle class population in these countries, which in turn has caused a huge income disparity that has succeeded in swelling the ranks of those individuals living below the poverty line. According to many research studies carried out by the United Nations 25% of the world’s population either owns or controls 75% of the total world income while the poorest 75% of the population has access to the remaining 25% of the world’s income. 42% of the world population mainly living in countries like India, China and Brazil, earned less than $1000 dollars a year (â€Å"United Nations†, 2004). . This 42% made up 2.4 billion individuals worldwide, which is almost half the world population and they earned or had access only to a meager 9% of the world’s income (Cornia, 2004). Through the study the author found that some of the key reasons for income disparity in the developing world was the lack of skills and educational opportunities to the poorer segments of society when compared to those opportunities that were available to richer segments. Factors such as politics, corruption, exploitation and simple ignorance were also cited as causes for income inequalities in the developed world. While it can be argued that the globalization and off shoring has indeed helped to spur growth in these economies and create the â€Å"middle class†, it is still vital to remember that the income earned from such ventures by the bulk of the individuals working in these offshore plants is minimal in comparison to the salaries earned by their counterparts in the developed countries (Ming, 2001). If we take for instance a company like Marks and Spencer Clothes Manufacturing or Clothes suppliers to Walmart and George (ASDA’s name brand), the individuals working in the factories in China that produce these products amount

Teaching Prediction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teaching Prediction - Essay Example The first step encourages metacognitive thinking by having the students think about their own life experiences in relation to the article. A brief explanation of the article or story is presented and students pause to try and make connections with the topic to their own life experiences. This is also the step when students would think about prior learning if the reading were a summary or culminating activity relative to learning in another school subject. Making connections across the curriculum through reading has been shown to also help students retain more important information. The second step in the process is a question sequence that begins with a stated main idea. This is then followed with a question designed to get students to think about how this main idea is connected to their prior learning and experiences. Students are then instructed to write a prediction about what the article or story will say about the main idea based on the students personal experiences with the subject. The last step involves the independent reading of the story or article. They then discuss their predictions as a class and compare their past experiences to the information and experiences conveyed in the text. This method is especially appropriate for a sixth grade literature class. Children this age have had enough life experiences to have a broader range of existing knowledge to draw upon, allowing for a more diverse conversation about each topic. Also, as young adolescents, sixth graders have a growing awareness of themselves. Their metacognitive abilities are rapidly developing or ripe to be developed. Finally, I feel that this is an especially good method to use for sixth grade students because students this age a capable of sustained independent reading. Individual students will vary in their proficiency at this task, but most will be able to accomplish the third step

Social Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Issues - Research Paper Example However that is not the case. On the contrary has been the cause of radical growth in the middle class population in these countries, which in turn has caused a huge income disparity that has succeeded in swelling the ranks of those individuals living below the poverty line. According to many research studies carried out by the United Nations 25% of the world’s population either owns or controls 75% of the total world income while the poorest 75% of the population has access to the remaining 25% of the world’s income. 42% of the world population mainly living in countries like India, China and Brazil, earned less than $1000 dollars a year (â€Å"United Nations†, 2004). . This 42% made up 2.4 billion individuals worldwide, which is almost half the world population and they earned or had access only to a meager 9% of the world’s income (Cornia, 2004). Through the study the author found that some of the key reasons for income disparity in the developing world was the lack of skills and educational opportunities to the poorer segments of society when compared to those opportunities that were available to richer segments. Factors such as politics, corruption, exploitation and simple ignorance were also cited as causes for income inequalities in the developed world. While it can be argued that the globalization and off shoring has indeed helped to spur growth in these economies and create the â€Å"middle class†, it is still vital to remember that the income earned from such ventures by the bulk of the individuals working in these offshore plants is minimal in comparison to the salaries earned by their counterparts in the developed countries (Ming, 2001). If we take for instance a company like Marks and Spencer Clothes Manufacturing or Clothes suppliers to Walmart and George (ASDA’s name brand), the individuals working in the factories in China that produce these products amount

Gay Marriage Essay Example for Free

Gay Marriage Essay The issue of gay marriage remains controversial. Some people think that this trend has adverse effects on the society while others believe that it is seen as a natural trend and right for people to choose this type of marriage. My essay will discuss causes and effects of this problem. First, gay marriage is the result of psychological, legal, economic and biological effects. Medically speaking, if someone is born to be gay, the tendency is that he will not change his nature and want to live with people of the same sex. There are cases of men who marry the opposite sex and end up being unhappy till the day they decide to lead their own lives and stay with the same sex. Another reason is derived from economic drive. Despite not being inborn gay, several people, for sake of profit, opt for the solution to marry the similar sex. Besides, only after undergoing painful break-ups with so many people of the different sex do people lose their belief in love, and hence, choose to be by the side of the same sex. These people are believed to sympathize and care about them more. In addition, in such an open society where equality is recognized, it is inevitable that people can marry the one they love, despite the differences in age, race, family background and marriage notion. There are both positive and negative effects in this problem. As a result of recognizing the right of gay people in form of marriage, the society bestows upon these people the feeling of equity which makes them motivated to work as hard as other people. It is the acknowledgement of gay marriage that talented gay people continue contributing their best to social development, without bias. However, the fear is that no sooner has gay marriage become official than the society lacks the next generation since hardly could gay couples give birth. Another disadvantage is that children who are raised in gay families can rarely receive comprehensive education. Such purely male environment or female one is not enough for kids to develop normally, which might result in their mental disorders and sexual disorientation.

The Concept Of Childrens Day

The Concept Of Childrens Day Universally, Children s Day is celebrated on 20th November, every year. This date was chosen as a day to celebrate childhood. Prior to 1959 Children s Day was universally celebrated in the month of October. This was first celebrated in the year 1954, as decided by the UN General Assembly. Basically this day was instituted with the sole aim of promoting communal exchange and understanding among children, as well as to bring about beneficiary action to promote the welfare of children, all over the globe. The date 20th November, was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the day in 1959, when the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly adopted. In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed on the same date, which has been sanctioned by 191 states, ever since. However, while 20th November is universally celebrated as Children s Day, in India this day has been preponed to 14th November, the date the marks the birth anniversary of independent India s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The reason why his birthday has been chosen for the celebration of children is because of his love and passion for children. Pandit Nehru is also regarded as the country s special child to have been the first Prime Minister, after her long struggle for independence. The day is marked with a lot of activities for children. But the fact remains that only a section of the country s children actually have an opportunity to celebrate their existence. Schools organize events and activities that their students thoroughly enjoy, but there is an entire populace of young ones that are left ignored on this special day the downtrodden street children. Instead of celebrating it with pomposity in schools and clubs and hotels, why not bring a difference into the lives of children who are unprivileged. While celebrating being a child, the fortunate ones should be reminded about their good fortune to have all that they are endowed with, while there are others who can barely feed or clothe themselves. Thus, while this day was globally instituted to provide children with basic Rights, maybe one can make a difference to a child s life by doing something special. Parties and celebrations happen all the time, but how about taking the fortunate children to homes that shelter street children and have them befriend those kids, donating clothes, toys, stationery, books, etc. Another way of celebrating this day differently would be to have your children, whether as teacher or parent, organize a party for some underprivileged children. In fact, if this is done in every neighborhood, imagine how many smiles there will be across the nation. Childhood is about innocence and playfulness. It is about joy and freedom. Maybe on this day you can make your own child sign up to sponsor the education of an unprivileged child, either through an NGO dedicated to educating and providing better living conditions for street children, or maybe you could do so for your employee s child. Celebrating Children s Day is about giving children the right to enjoy and grow into healthy and educated citizens of the country, and if you can teach your child the value of sharing with others what they are lucky to have, then not only your child will grow into a responsible human being, but also another child who otherwise could have ended up being a delinquent, had it not been for your thoughtfulness. As mentioned earlier, Childrens day in India is celebrated on Pandit Nehrujis birthday as a day of fun and frolic, a celebration of childhood, children and Nehrujis love for them. As a tribute to his love for children, Nehrujis birthday is celebrated all over India as CHILDRENS DAY Children are the future citizens of the country. The future of the country depends upon the present children. If the children do not develop in a proper way, the countrys future will be ruined. This was rightly realized by our late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. So, he advised the people to stop observing his birthday on the 14th November and to observe this day as the childrens Day. Since 1956 the 14th November is every year, observed in India as the Childrens Day. Advantages: On the Childrens day the neglecting people will get an opportunity to think of the future of their children. The whole society will think of its duty and responsibility towards the children. They will think of what have been done for the children in the year past and what should be done for them in the year coming. Because children are the future citizens of the country and the future of the country depends upon the present children. People will know that every individual in our society has a sacred duty towards the children. How this day is observed: Every year on the 14th November the Childrens Day is observed everywhere in our country. People gather in meetings to discuss over the future of the children. They discuss over how to build children as the ideal citizens. They discuss about how to make the child healthy physically, mentally and morally. Because if the students be not properly built, the future of the country will be in ruin. So, they take pledge not to neglect their children. The Childrens Day makes them realize that child is the father of man. On the Childrens Day, the children are given new garments and rich food. They are given picture books. Conclusion: Children are the future of our country. They are the future of our nation. So, every individual should realize the importance of the Childrens Day. Childrens day is celebrated in India on 14th november every year with a great celebrity. It is celebrated on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehruji who loved and was loved by children. He was called as Chacha ji by children However, while 20th November is universally celebrated as Children s Day, in India this day has been preponed to 14th November, the date the marks the birth anniversary of independent India s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Childrens Day is an event celebrated on various days in many places around the world. International Childrens Day is celebrated on June 1 and Universal Childrens Day is on November 20.[1]Other countries celebrate a local childrens day on other dates. The reason why his birthday has been chosen for the celebration of children is because of his love and passion for children. Pandit Nehru is also regarded as the country s special child to have been the first Prime Minister, after his long struggle for independence. The day is marked with a lot of activities for children. But the fact remains that only a section of the country s children actually have an opportunity to celebrate their existence. Schools organize events and activities that their students thoroughly enjoy, but there is an entire populace of young ones that are left ignored on this special day the downtrodden street children.As mentioned earlier, Childrens day in India is celebrated on Pandit Nehrujis birthday as a day of fun and frolic, a celebration of childhood, children and Nehrujis love for them. As a tribute to his love for children, Nehrujis birthday is celebrated all over India as CHILDRENS DAY His great love for roses as well as children is a well-known fact. In fact he often compared the two, saying that children were like the buds in a garden. They should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they were the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow. He felt that children are the real strength of a country and the very foundation of society. Most importantly he did not discriminate between the sexes and believed in giving equal opportunities to girls and boys. In fact his own little girl grew up to be the third Prime Minister of India. Quite naturally, he was the beloved of all the children who gave him the endearing name of Chacha Nehru. As a tribute to this great man and his genuine love for children, his birthday is celebrated all over India as UNIVERSAL CHILDRENS DAY. A day of fun and fanfare. It is not only a national holiday, but is celebrated with singing, dancing and storytelling in schools and colleges as well as on radio and television. Special functions are held to honour children all over the country. The significance of Childrens Day But amidst all this pomp and glory, we should not lose sight of Chacha Nehrus real message. That is providing our children with a safe and loving environment in which to grow as well as giving them ample and equal opportunities through which they can take great strides and contribute to the progress of the nation. This day serves as a reminder to each and every one of us, to renew our commitment to the welfare of children and teach them to live by their Chacha Nehrus standards and example.

Impact of Computers on Society :: Technology Society

Impact of Computers on Society Ever since the dawn of civilization, knowledge has been power. If you knew how to count, you could understand more than others. This still applies today. If you know more than another, you will have more power. Computers in the modern world are the main source of knowledge. From a simple calculator to the most powerful supercomputer, computers give man an edge over his/her rivals. Technology is all about being one step ahead of others. Being able to do advanced math before your opponents allows you to gain a strategic advantage in corporate competition or global politics. Supercomputers can compute missile trajectories while at the same time can be used to look for oil. The movie Hackers takes that into account when it refers to Gibson supercomputers being used to search for oil. You can analyze billions of pieces of data for a certain pattern and return the results in a comparatively short amount of time. Even though not everyone has a super computer, the ability to analyze large amounts of data is still there. Groups like SETI@HOME use thousands of computers at once to search for life elsewhere in the universe. This just shows how many applications a large amount of computing power has. I have been around computers my entire life almost. During the early days of MS-DOS, I was using a program called â€Å"Alpine Tram Ride.† Like all the other games I got latter on, this was educational. To tell you the truth I can’t even remember the game and what it taught, yet I do remember the fact that I did use it a lot and that it was helpful. Other programs taught math or geography. This was the beginning of computers in education at home. Today you can get courses on CD or be schooled over the internet. Home schooling would have been more difficult before computers. Computers increased one’s ability to teach him/herself. They have even created new fields of study such as Artificial Intelligence or the best field of all†¦Computer Programming in Perl taught by Dmitriy Genzel. =) These classes then spread into fields like engineering where users can use programs like AutoCAD and design things (I don’t know much about CAD programs so don’t know how or what they design). Computers have entered right into the classroom. If you use a calculator†¦that is a computer. Also programs like Excel (or other graphing programs) can allow you to graph certain functions that would be hard to do by hand.

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Papers Edgar Allan

The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe ?The Cask of Amontillado? by Edgar Allan Poe is a story about two men at a carnival, the narrator Montresor, who is being eaten by jealousy, and Fortunato, a rich drunk man that has a weakness for wine. It is through deception that Montresor achieves his revenge against Fortunato. He did not believe that killing Fortunato is wrong because of the insults and injures Fortunato brought against him. ?The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne.? (Poe, 75) says Montresor. Montresor brought Fortunato down into the catacomb. This was his chance for revenge. In the opening lines Montresor explains what Fortunato has done to him: ?he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge?(75. The next line Montresor explains that he did not threaten him back and he did not reply to the threats. It was not in Montresor?s nature to do return the threat, ?You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat?(75). Montresor went out of his way to be nice to Fortunato; meanwhile inside of him the jealousy burned. ?Neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will?(75), he did things for Fortunato and continued on making everything seem normal so that Fortunato would not expect Montresor to do anything to him. ?I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation?(75,76), Montresor continued to smile as he has been doing all the time, but now he smiled when he saw him because he was thinking of his demise. Montresor tricked Fortunato into believing that he has Amontillado because if Fortunato was drunk it would be easier to kill him. ?My dear F... ...racter is displayed like he cares for Fortunato but he is just doing these things to get him to go to he catacombs with him. Montresor in the end when Fortunato was dead, Montresor walks away saying ?In pace requiescat?(75), may he rest in peace. Montresor does not really care if he is at peace now. He just does not want to get caught. With Fortunado dead and buried, Montresor has won. Thanks to his deception he has the revenge he wanted for so long. There are no more insults or injuries for Montresor to tolerate. Fortunato is dead, never to be seen again. Because Montresor believes what he has done is not wrong he does not have to worry about the guilt or shame afterwards. Works Cited: Poe, Edgar Allan. "A Cask of Amontillado." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997. 209-14.

Predestination and Freewill Essay

Predestination does not interrupt free will. Actually the two go hand in hand. Our God is such a loving God that through his divine will he gave us free will. God did not predestine anyone to salvation or damnation. He has the Divine foreknowledge of who will live a righteous life and who will follow the path to damnation. Knowing this, He gave us the option to choose our path in life, therefore, placing our salvation in the decisions that we choose throughout our lives. Christians believeâ€Å"16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.†1 This is why we are called Christians due to Christ. God gave the ultimate sacrifice so that mankind can choose his own destination. . In my opinion, Christians of, all people, should believe that free will and predestination are not separates entities. The first question that one should ask is what is predestination? Predestination to some is the belief that God, who has sovereignty over all creation, uses His divine foreknowledge to predestine some humans to receive everlasting salvation and some to suffer an eternity of damnation. In comparison, the Christian belief is that God does have foreknowledge but does not use this knowledge to save or condemn –God does not predestine. Therefore, the next question should be â€Å"how does God determine who goes to heaven and who goes to hell?† Well the one true Christian answer is that no one, not even the elect, gets into heaven without Christ. So does Christ choose you or do you choose Christ? A Christian must know Christ prior to choosing Him. There are two categories of theologians that argue how we come in contact with Christ, the monogistic and synergistic view. The bible verse Isaiah 53:1 â€Å"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?†2 can be used as an example. The monogistic view is that God reached out his arm to save the people that he foreknowingly knew would choose Christ and predestined them to have eternal salvation. This view of salvation removes humankind’s gift of free will. The other part of humanity, however, would be left to receive eternal suffering. The synergistic view is that God â€Å"offers† His hand out to the true belie ver to save them and in return they have the free will to choose it, accept Christ and receive eternal salvation. The monogistic position defines predestination. The  controversy of predestination started with St Augustine’s interpretation of Apostle Paul’s bible verse Romans 8:29: â€Å"29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.†3 True Christians interpret this verse believing that when Paul speaks of foreknew, he is referring to God’s divine foreknowledge of sight. Christians believe that God is able to look through the windows of time and foresee those who will use the free will given to walk with him throughout their life. He did not predestine, as in verb form, but he has always known the path of our destination, â€Å"pre† mankind. God would like for all of His children to conform to the image of Christ and become eternal brethren and even though God knew each individual person’s choice, He still gave us the option to choose our path in life. Hence, God placed humanity’s salvation in our own individual hands through the grace free will. Augustine’s interpretation, in contrast, was translated as â€Å"For God knew his own before ever they were, and also ordained that they should be shaped to the likeness of his son, that he might be the eldest among a large family of brothers.†4 This interpretation, accepted by many and also scorned by many, revealed a different God than Paul referred to. Augustine believed God’s foreknowledge and predestination was not centered upon the deeds of humanity. Instead, he believed that God, who has Divine autonomy to do as he pleases, selected his chosen at his discretion and predestined them to eternal salvation. Through this monogistic view, the gift of free will is nonexistent, therefore removing any chance of humanity’s’ ability to save itself from reprobation. Augustine centered this monogstic view on Adam’s fall from grace. Adam’s fall from God’s grace resulted in humanity’s fall as well, thereby removing the gift of free will, leaving humanity totally dependent upon God’s â€Å"merciful grace†. Free will to make righteous choices throughout one’s life is not a consideration. He centers his belief around grace not free will because he believed that none of humanity deserved redeeming and it is only through God’s grace that some are predestined for salvation . Only the elect will receive God’s grace and salvation and no one knows the number or names of the elect but God himself. In other words man does not need any type of religious order, because, according to Augustine, we are to live throughout our lives hoping that we are one of the â€Å"elected† that God decides to â€Å"grace† with exaltation. John Calvin, another theologian, also preached predestination. John Calvin, however, sermonized on double predestination. He stated that â€Å"out of the common multitude of men some should be predestined to salvation, others to destruction.†5 According to Calvin double predestination is when God predestines humanity to salvation and also to damnation. He believes that not only does God predestine the elect to receive his grace and know Christ for an eternity, but he also predestines those he will not allow to know Christ and sentence them to eternal suffering. His deduction for this belief, as was Augustine’s, was Adams fall from grace. Calvin expounds on the belief that God only creates perfection, thereby, Adam created in God’s image, was created perfectly. However, through Adam’s gracious gift of free will, Adam chose unwisely and â€Å"since in Adam all are sinners, deserving of eternal death, it is obvious that nothing but sin will be found in menâ € 6 causing the whole of humanity to suffer the loss of God’s grace. In other words, Calvin’s view is God does not condemn man to damnation; man condemned himself through God’s grace and free will. Calvin believes that humanity does not deserve God’s grace and it is not for us to reason why or how God decides who receives redemption and who reprobation. Therefore, to answer the questions afore mentioned, God does not determine who will receive salvation or damnation: we do. God does not autonomously destine a chosen few elect to know and love Christ because in 1 Timothy 2:4 it is written that God † desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.†7 He gave us free will to live our lives as we please. God reaches out his hand to every soul on earth but it is ultimately our choice to reach out and grab it. Through God’s merciful grace of free will, he has foreknowingly placed us in charge of our own destiny. WORKS CITED http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203:16&version=NIV 1 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+53%3A1-12&version=NIV 2 Preaching, predestination by Mathis Lamberigts page 6783, 4, Institutes of the Christian Religion Book III by John Calvin Chapter XXI page 9215 Commentaries Election and Predestination by John Calvin page 2546 http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/whatismonergism2.html http://biblehub.com/1_timothy/2-4.htm7

Time, History, and Belief in Aztec and Colonial Mexico Essay

Aztec culture Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The history of different people and how they lived in the past is majorly explained through their cultural way of life. People lived in different geographical localities, but due to similar ethic and racial background they shared a common background in terms of cultural, political, social, and religious beliefs. Aztec empire is one of the societies that lived in different geographical localities which included New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada, but shared similar culture. The empire was formed by millions of people who migrated and settled in Mexico with most of them living in Tenochtitlan (Pennock, 2011). The Aztec had a culture that was complicated although rich in religious and mythological beliefs. The people culture encompassed arts (carvings on animals and religious images) music, dressing, dance, drinks, sports, food, games, and rituals that could involve human sacrifice and they were transferred from one generation to the o ther.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Aztec empire believed that a family was the most important aspect that signified life and new generations. The family was composed of men, women, and children and each member had a specific duty towards the family. Men were responsible for looking for food through hunting and gathering of wild fruits. Women were left to cook food and do the weaving jobs while they took care of children during the day. Children or young boys were trained on how to hunt and gather fruits and foods by their fathers and some went to school. On the other hand, young girls were trained on how to do household chores by their mothers in addition to weaving. A family was started through tradition marriage that was conducted through ceremonies and was between young girls as young as fifteen years and men as young as eighteen years (Pennock, 2011).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Art was one of the ways the Aztec culture recorded information on different beliefs, religion, and war fare. The recordings helped the people to transfer their beliefs and cultiure to other generations so that they would be continuous from one generation to the other. Since in the early Aztec culture few technology on recording and preserving information were available, they recorded their information inform of paintings and writings on the bark of trees. The writings and paintings were then stored in the temple and people could read and use the paintings to learn their history and they warfare encounter (Smith, 2008). The art works was done using various themes such as insects, animals, fish, and plants. Moreover, others reflected religion beliefs and gods that were majorly placed in temples. Hence, art was important in the Aztec culture as it was used to record their activities and events that could be passed from one generation to the o ther.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion was evident in Aztec culture. The Aztec people worshipped different gods and goddess that were categorised according to their responsibilities. Since Aztec people were mainly farmers, they conducted rituals in form of ceremonies every year before planting so that they could ensure that they could get a good crop and harvest. The ceremonies involved human sacrifices that were dedicated to gods, Tezcatlipoca (Hassig, 2013). The human sacrifices were obtained from children or prisoners that were captured during war with the neighbouring societies. They believed that human blood and heart was important so as to strengthened the gods and goddesses and bless them with good harvests in addition to their protection and conquering other societies to get more prisoners for human sacrifices. Moreover, they build large temples that were meant for performing the human sacrifices (Smith, 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Aztec empire also had a unique dress that was used to identify them with their culture that was part of art. The material of the dressing was mainly a beautiful fabric of bright colours that was intertwined and tailored to different designs. The bright colours and design were unique to Aztec people and helped them to identify with their culture. The dressing colours were also used to identify social class as the quality and the design were unique to social class (Dwyer, Stout, & Stout, 2013). The wealthy class were characterised with the best qualities and designs as the commoner material quality was low.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dance was performed in line with religious and social activities in the society. In some instances, dancing was performed as a religious ritual that was meant to please gods so that they could give blessings to the people and protect them from evil (Dwyer et al, 2013). Moreover, the dance was also done to colour ceremonies that varied from entertainment to ritual ceremonies. The dances were performed in accompaniment with music. The music was sang and played as a form of rituals or players to gods. Different music had different themes. Some music was purely for entertainment while others were purely dedicated to gods. Moreover music was performed based on seasons. Various instruments such as drums, flutes, and rattles were used to play music as well as chanting as a way to worship gods. Therefore, dancing and music were used by the Aztec to preserve their cultures from one generation to the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The culture has various games and sports that were important in their culture. The games provided entertainment to leaders and other people distinguished in the social class. The entertainment was also done during ceremonies in the society. Moreover, the games could also be performed to portray religious meaning. For religious ceremonies, games were performed during human or other sacrifice to appease the gods so that they could accept the sacrifice and do as the people had played.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Aztec empire had different kinds and unique food that were rich and concentrated with spices. The dishes that were common and popular among the Aztec were tortillas, tacos, and tamales. There were other foods that were gathered by men like seeds of sage plants that were common as cereal, eggs, dogs, turkey, and rabbits (Culture and Arts, 2013). Unlike other cultures, most of Aztec food was made with chilli peppers as the main spice. Delicacies that were common among the Aztec people were green slime. The food was obtained from Lake Texococo and its taste was compared to that of cheese. Most of the time enjoyed water as a form of refreshments and in special occasions or ceremonies beer was the main form of drinks. The Aztecs also enjoyed drinks such as hot sweetened chocolate and sometimes octilli. The latter was common among the noble people and other people of a higher social class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aztec people day to day life involved agriculture as a form of socioeconomic practices. Their main type of crop that they cultivated was corn. The people were hard working and dedicated farming to their gods and they were able to have crops in surplus. Few practiced irrigation on the dry lands while the majority ploughed on shallow lakes. Farmers transferred mud and soil from dry land to the shallow lakes thus forming islands, chinampas that they in turn used as land for agriculture (Cohn, 2013). The islands were very fertile and productive, which resulted in food surplus. The surplus food and other crops were sold to the other communities and neighbouring empires through Tlateolco market that united various communities. Although Aztecs lacked monetary system, they used barter trade of exchange of goods and services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Aztecs were most of the time involved in wars where they capture prisoners for human sacrifice and slaves for their economic purposes. They used futile weapons to fight other tribes and neighbouring communities (Clendinnen, 2010). Some of the weapons that were common among them were wooden clubs. The clubs were edged with pieces of obsidians that were sharp forming a tool that they commonly referred to as macuahuitl. The weapon was used to demobilize the enemies without killing them so that they could be captured as slaves and prisoners for human sacrifice. Other weapons prevalent among the Aztecs were spears and arrow that could either disable or kill the enemies. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aztec culture was rich in art works such as carvings of different images. They believed family as unit of life and marriage was between a man and women. In family, men were hunters and gatherers while women cooked food and weaved clothes. The people had different types of foods such as eggs, cereals, meat, and fish. Spicy pepper was common among the community. The people had religious beliefs and worshiped many gods and goddess that were categorised based on events or season. They sacrificed human beings for the gods in order to be protected and their land to be blessed. In addition, they had different games that could be played in times of ceremonies or religious rituals. Dance was common among the people in combination with music. Similarly, dance and music was done as a way of worship or entertainment in ceremonies. The people had a unique dress that identified them with their culture. References Clendinnen, I. (2010). The cost of courage in Aztec society: essays on Mesoamerican society and culture. Cambridge University Press. Cohn, J. (2013). The Aztecs. New York: Gareth Stevens Pub. Culture and Arts. (2013). Mexico Country Review, 178-184. Dwyer, H., Stout, M., & Stout, M. (2013). Aztec history and culture. New York, NY: Gareth Stevens Pub. Hassig, R. (2013). Time, History, and Belief in Aztec and Colonial Mexico. University of Texas Press. Pennock, C. (2011). ‘A Remarkably Patterned Life’: Domestic and Public in the Aztec Household City. Gender & History, 23(3), 528-546. Smith, M. E. (2008). The Aztec Empire. The Aztec World. Ed. Brumfiel, E., M. and Gary M. F. New York: Abrams, 2008. 121-136. Source document