NFL Concussions

On the other hand, the nature football is very aggressive ND hazardous. There are many fans think there should be little to no regulations or changes because football is meant to be an aggressive sport. Football is considered to be a holy sport for most people in America. Thousands of fans watch each game and revolve their schedule around the NFG. The NFG has started trying to prevent concussions; in 2010 the NFG made a new rule that a player cannot tackle another player in head to head contact. As the fans and players started rioting against this rule, it helped in preventing concussions.There are often many injuries involved in the sport of oddball, but most injuries consist of concussions and other head traumas. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that shakes the brain inside the skull. Although there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other visible signs of a brain injury . The NFG needs to start implementing strict rules and harder punishments for people who play dirty or try to hurt others. Many players have been hit so hard to the extent that the injuries end their careers.Players often have long term effects from most injuries involved n football. These players being injured with a concussion is a serious matter because there is no physical signs of the injury. Although it is obvious that the NFG needs to protect its players better, many people still believe otherwise. Those people believe that football is football, it is meant for being aggressive and hitting hard. They also say that players are being penalized for something that happened accidental. Although this may be true sometimes, without the rules players can take advantage and play dirty. (WV.NFG. Com) The NFG data shows an average of one reported concussion every other game. About 120 to 130 concussions occur per regular season. Every year that NFG rules get stricter, the number of conc ussions decreases. These rules need to become more strict because concussions are a serious thing to have and most people usually don't know when they one. A reporter from USA Today explains how coaches should approach this matter. He said, â€Å"Signs and symptoms of concussions may be delayed, and therefore it may be prudent to remove an athlete from play, but when in doubt, take a timeout† (Bell).NFG isn't really doing much in dealing with the concussions. In the past year more than 160 players went down with a head injury. In response, the NFG fines players for their bad judgment on the field, which means nothing to them. Steve Inspire reported a New England defensive back stating, â€Å"Fines never mattered to me, being suspend for hitting a player helmet to helmet caught my attention. Because fines don't matter to a millionaire. † Also, people might say these rules about players not being able to tackle the way they want will cause them to not play as well and so ften them up.Sports reporter Tom Goldman said â€Å"its football, big hits are and always will be a part of the sport. † (Goldman). However, as professionals they should know how to change their name and adapt to the newer and safer rules of the NFG. They are allowed to hit as hard as they want but it's where they are hitting that is the problem. In the NFG if a defensive player hits a quarter back helmet to helmet he is penalized. Also, if a defensive player hits a quarter back after the play he is penalized. NFG has to try harder in protecting their players.In the past there where barely any rules, players didn't even wear metal helmets. They wore leather Ones which didn't protect them at all. Players in the past were twice more likely to get a concussion then players are now. The NFG rules on incursions are now stricter, but the amount of concussions this year is still too high. In the future, players should wear better helmets and have more gear on. There should be a medi cal staff on the sidelines in case of emergencies. Also, they should have operating rooms if injuries are too severe.After a big hit the player shouldn't come back to game unless a doctor agrees. Reporter says â€Å"If a certified athletic trainer were to see the hit again slow motion from a replay, he might say wait a minute we need to check him out. (McCann) Reporter Garret Bell explains â€Å"Quarterback Colt McCoy was allowed to continue playing after suffering a concussion, Macy's hand was checked out, but was never tested for a concussion because the medical staff didn't see the replay and missed the head get hit. † After all the rules NFG has changed this year it still didn't fix the problem.This year three major quarterbacks where injured from concussions which is an example of how the NFG still hasn't done enough to protect its players. Jay Cutler from the Chicago Bears, Alex Smith from the San Francisco errs, and Michael Vicki from the Philadelphia Eagles has been injured this year with concussions. Jay Cutler and the Bears didn't make it to the playoffs because of his injury. They started their season 7-1 , and when Jay Cutler got injured they finished the season 9-6. Michael Vicki missed the football season. Alex Smith lost his starting possession after he was injured.All these players and their teams were affected because one person wasn't careful enough to control himself. NFG hasn't done enough as shown by each of those Quarterbacks. Because the NFG has started to make a lot Of changes towards injuries this year retired football players feel that they should have gotten this treatment when they were playing. That's why many football veterans are suing the NFG today. A reporter from USA TODAY says ‘The NFG is a target of federal lawsuits by more than 3,700 former players who allege that for decades the league failed to protect from concussions and their long-term effects.Today Boston will release a report that includes the cases of 33 former NFG players diagnosed after their deaths with brain damage linked to repeated concussions. † (Misses) Another reporter states â€Å"There is a disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy which is often associated with concussions. Studies show that this can be incipient in people as young as 18. (Bell) Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease that results in behaviors similar to Alchemist's disease. However, according to researchers, it has a clear environmental cause of repeated brain trauma rather than a genetic cause.This disease is most often known from ex-boxers, so it as if players are being punched in the head. Though this disease doesn't show up right away it often shows up later in their life. So players are not only being affected during their time playing football, but even after 20, 30, or even 40 years after they retire. â€Å"With all the steps the NFG has to improve layer safety, against all the backdrops of the hundreds o f ex- players suing the NFG for not revealing more knowledge about head injuries† said reporter Garret Bell.There are hundreds of parents that don't allow their children to play football from how easily things can wrong, even after knowing youth football players do drills aimed at reducing their risks of concussions. Football is a beautiful sport and a great exercise. If the NFG doesn't start making changes soon to improve their players' safety it may be stopped as a professional sport in America, especially if players keep receiving concussions ND diseases from the sport. Players, teams, and cities have been affected by these concussions.The NFG ended up realizing this problem 3 years ago in 201 0 and still hasn't fixed it. It is reported â€Å"In 201 0 through 6 weeks of the season it was reported that 35 players have been on injury lists, unable to play because of head injuries. (Goldman) If everyone were to watch football they would see what players go through every game. Players that are hurt the most are the ones that don't see it coming. They are most often hit on their blind side. Many people know the NFG-L needs to change, but very few people are trying to change it.Journalist Gary Misses explains, â€Å"The NFG is stressing a change in culture when it comes to a head injury. † (USA TODAY) In the NFG, football players should learn drills on how to tackle properly to reduce concussions. They should also, be put in simulations and scrimmages to learn how to avoid this harmful injury. Furthermore, players should be tested before football season to see how fragile their bodies are. That way teams can determine the amount of padding a player needs. All in all, it is obvious that the NFG needs to change its rules and regulations for the sake of the players and for the sake of the game. NFL Concussions On the other hand, the nature football is very aggressive ND hazardous. There are many fans think there should be little to no regulations or changes because football is meant to be an aggressive sport. Football is considered to be a holy sport for most people in America. Thousands of fans watch each game and revolve their schedule around the NFG. The NFG has started trying to prevent concussions; in 2010 the NFG made a new rule that a player cannot tackle another player in head to head contact. As the fans and players started rioting against this rule, it helped in preventing concussions.There are often many injuries involved in the sport of oddball, but most injuries consist of concussions and other head traumas. A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that shakes the brain inside the skull. Although there may be cuts or bruises on the head or face, there may be no other visible signs of a brain injury . The NFG needs to start implementing strict rules and harder punishments for people who play dirty or try to hurt others. Many players have been hit so hard to the extent that the injuries end their careers.Players often have long term effects from most injuries involved n football. These players being injured with a concussion is a serious matter because there is no physical signs of the injury. Although it is obvious that the NFG needs to protect its players better, many people still believe otherwise. Those people believe that football is football, it is meant for being aggressive and hitting hard. They also say that players are being penalized for something that happened accidental. Although this may be true sometimes, without the rules players can take advantage and play dirty. (WV.NFG. Com) The NFG data shows an average of one reported concussion every other game. About 120 to 130 concussions occur per regular season. Every year that NFG rules get stricter, the number of conc ussions decreases. These rules need to become more strict because concussions are a serious thing to have and most people usually don't know when they one. A reporter from USA Today explains how coaches should approach this matter. He said, â€Å"Signs and symptoms of concussions may be delayed, and therefore it may be prudent to remove an athlete from play, but when in doubt, take a timeout† (Bell).NFG isn't really doing much in dealing with the concussions. In the past year more than 160 players went down with a head injury. In response, the NFG fines players for their bad judgment on the field, which means nothing to them. Steve Inspire reported a New England defensive back stating, â€Å"Fines never mattered to me, being suspend for hitting a player helmet to helmet caught my attention. Because fines don't matter to a millionaire. † Also, people might say these rules about players not being able to tackle the way they want will cause them to not play as well and so ften them up.Sports reporter Tom Goldman said â€Å"its football, big hits are and always will be a part of the sport. † (Goldman). However, as professionals they should know how to change their name and adapt to the newer and safer rules of the NFG. They are allowed to hit as hard as they want but it's where they are hitting that is the problem. In the NFG if a defensive player hits a quarter back helmet to helmet he is penalized. Also, if a defensive player hits a quarter back after the play he is penalized. NFG has to try harder in protecting their players.In the past there where barely any rules, players didn't even wear metal helmets. They wore leather Ones which didn't protect them at all. Players in the past were twice more likely to get a concussion then players are now. The NFG rules on incursions are now stricter, but the amount of concussions this year is still too high. In the future, players should wear better helmets and have more gear on. There should be a medi cal staff on the sidelines in case of emergencies. Also, they should have operating rooms if injuries are too severe.After a big hit the player shouldn't come back to game unless a doctor agrees. Reporter says â€Å"If a certified athletic trainer were to see the hit again slow motion from a replay, he might say wait a minute we need to check him out. (McCann) Reporter Garret Bell explains â€Å"Quarterback Colt McCoy was allowed to continue playing after suffering a concussion, Macy's hand was checked out, but was never tested for a concussion because the medical staff didn't see the replay and missed the head get hit. † After all the rules NFG has changed this year it still didn't fix the problem.This year three major quarterbacks where injured from concussions which is an example of how the NFG still hasn't done enough to protect its players. Jay Cutler from the Chicago Bears, Alex Smith from the San Francisco errs, and Michael Vicki from the Philadelphia Eagles has been injured this year with concussions. Jay Cutler and the Bears didn't make it to the playoffs because of his injury. They started their season 7-1 , and when Jay Cutler got injured they finished the season 9-6. Michael Vicki missed the football season. Alex Smith lost his starting possession after he was injured.All these players and their teams were affected because one person wasn't careful enough to control himself. NFG hasn't done enough as shown by each of those Quarterbacks. Because the NFG has started to make a lot Of changes towards injuries this year retired football players feel that they should have gotten this treatment when they were playing. That's why many football veterans are suing the NFG today. A reporter from USA TODAY says ‘The NFG is a target of federal lawsuits by more than 3,700 former players who allege that for decades the league failed to protect from concussions and their long-term effects.Today Boston will release a report that includes the cases of 33 former NFG players diagnosed after their deaths with brain damage linked to repeated concussions. † (Misses) Another reporter states â€Å"There is a disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy which is often associated with concussions. Studies show that this can be incipient in people as young as 18. (Bell) Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease that results in behaviors similar to Alchemist's disease. However, according to researchers, it has a clear environmental cause of repeated brain trauma rather than a genetic cause.This disease is most often known from ex-boxers, so it as if players are being punched in the head. Though this disease doesn't show up right away it often shows up later in their life. So players are not only being affected during their time playing football, but even after 20, 30, or even 40 years after they retire. â€Å"With all the steps the NFG has to improve layer safety, against all the backdrops of the hundreds o f ex- players suing the NFG for not revealing more knowledge about head injuries† said reporter Garret Bell.There are hundreds of parents that don't allow their children to play football from how easily things can wrong, even after knowing youth football players do drills aimed at reducing their risks of concussions. Football is a beautiful sport and a great exercise. If the NFG doesn't start making changes soon to improve their players' safety it may be stopped as a professional sport in America, especially if players keep receiving concussions ND diseases from the sport. Players, teams, and cities have been affected by these concussions.The NFG ended up realizing this problem 3 years ago in 201 0 and still hasn't fixed it. It is reported â€Å"In 201 0 through 6 weeks of the season it was reported that 35 players have been on injury lists, unable to play because of head injuries. (Goldman) If everyone were to watch football they would see what players go through every game. Players that are hurt the most are the ones that don't see it coming. They are most often hit on their blind side. Many people know the NFG-L needs to change, but very few people are trying to change it.Journalist Gary Misses explains, â€Å"The NFG is stressing a change in culture when it comes to a head injury. † (USA TODAY) In the NFG, football players should learn drills on how to tackle properly to reduce concussions. They should also, be put in simulations and scrimmages to learn how to avoid this harmful injury. Furthermore, players should be tested before football season to see how fragile their bodies are. That way teams can determine the amount of padding a player needs. All in all, it is obvious that the NFG needs to change its rules and regulations for the sake of the players and for the sake of the game.

Marketing planning Essay

Main characteristics of marketing oriented organisation The marketing is a management and customer satisfaction strategy which is focused on the customer satisfaction and it is also involved in various  functions like advertisement, promotion, selling products and services of the business, product planning, and product development, market research and market analysis. According to Keller, (2009) Marketing can be described as the marketing can be described as the management process which is responsible for identification, anticipation and satisfaction of customers of the organization for developing improved profitability of the business. According to the Philip (2009) the marketing can be described as the process of managing profitable customer relationship through retaining retain existing customers of the organization and attracting new customers through developing value for the customers and satisfying their needs through developing products and services needed by them. Types of organizations: According to marketing point of view there are two types of the organizations, market oriented and product oriented organizations (B&C, 2010). Product Oriented organizations: The focus of the product oriented organisations is on the development of product and selling these products through the different approaches of marketing. Characteristics of marketing oriented organisation: the market oriented companies are focused towards the satisfaction of needs and demands of the customers through analysing customer needs and then developing products and services to satisfy these needs. The customer needs are identified by these organizations and then the resources are allocated to meet these needs (Mangold, Faulds, 2009). The market oriented companies have four main features or characteristics which are given below, Shared Values: the customers are always kept as priority by these types of the organizations and the value is shared with customers by providing them quality products and services. Organizational Structure: the flat type of organizational structure is developed and preferred by these companies as compared to the traditional business structures. The clear vision is developed and communicated by these organizations for motivation of stakeholders including customers. Strategy: the overall business strategy forms the basis of the marketing strategies and planning of the market oriented companies. The basic goal of the market strategies is to achieve the overall business goals and objectives of the organization. The more flexible strategies are developed by these organizations to respond to changing business environment (Mangold, Faulds, 2009). Stakeholders: The  ideas and values are exchanged by the organization with different stakeholders of the organization to develop relationship with the business. From the analysis given it can be concluded that Ikea is a market oriented company as it has incorporated the core characteristics of the market oriented companies (Menon, 2008). Explain the various elements of the marketing concept with reference to the Ikea’s marketing activities. The Ikea has implemented various elements and the concepts which can be analysed as 5 Cs and 4 Ps of the marketing and they are given as below, 5 Cs of Marketing Company: the company described as the vision, mission, purpose and core values of the company which motivates stakeholders of the business (Menon, 2008). Customer: the customers are segmented into profitable components of the business. Collaborators: These are the stakeholders of the company who include investors, employees, customers, competitors, community and Government. Competitors: This includes analysis of the core competitors of the business, their market position, strengths and weaknesses. Context: Context refers to the analysis of the present and future prospects of the organization in the long turn and this is analysed through the internal and external business environment of the organization. 4Ps of marketing are: The four Ps of the marketing are essential and basic element for the development of effective marketing strategies of the business and these can be described as below, Product: the product is the development of the product or services based on the customer needs developed to satisfy needs of the customers (Menon, 2008). Promotion: this include determination of how the product will be marketed and promoted to attain greater market share and growth, through different promotional techniques like TV ads, online marketing or sales promotion (Newman, 2002). Price: One of the important elements of the marketing is the determination of price on which the product will be offered to customers. Place: The place is the identification and planning how the product will be placed in the market, through physical stores or the other elements. Identify and critically assess the benefits and costs of marketing approach for Ikea. The marketing approach adopted by the Ikea has different benefits for the business. Ikea has successfully  developed business of the organization in UK and Europe and segmented the business of the organization to the office and home furniture users. The business has developed the marketing strategies to develop and promote business products of the organization for satisfying customer needs through delivering quality products to the customers. The business has developed strategies for effective customer care as a part of the marketing strategies which is the part of benefits of marketing approach. The long term relations with the customers are developed by the business through effective customer relationship and developing trust in products of the organization. the costs of the ineffective marketing can lead to the failure of the product being offered or less effective response from the customers (Newman, 2002). Task 1.2 A) Identify and explain macro and micro environmental factors which influence marketing decisions of Ikea The business strategies of Ikea are affected by the various internal and external factors of the organization. These factors can be described as the macro-environmental factors and micro-environmental factors. The micro environmental factors of the Ikea are described as below, Micro-environmental Factors: these factors include various factors which have direct impact on the business strategies of the Ikea and it also impact on the business planning and strategies. The Micro factors impacting the Ikea are given below, Customers: the survival of the Ikea is based on the identification and meeting needs, wants and providing the benefits of their customers. the failure to meet the needs of the customers can lead to the failure of the business as the satisfied customers are most important for the business (Newman, 2002). Employees: the employees are considered as the most important assets of the business and the satisfaction and development of effective workforce of the business is the most important element for the successful business. Suppliers: the increase in the prices of raw material and change in the quality of the raw material has direct impact on the marketing mix of the business. The good relationship with the suppliers helps business to develop effective quality of the products offered by Ikea. Shareholders: the expectations and relationship of stakeholders of the business has positive and negative impacts on the strategies of the business. Media: the innovations and changes in the media can be analysed  and the successful adoption of these changes and innovations can positively impact the organizational communication and marketing strategies. Competitors: the name of the game in marketing is differentiation. The business can be successful through developing competitive advantage as compared to its competitors through developing core competencies of the business. Macro-environmental Factors: The macro environmental factors are which are beyond the control of the Ikea and these can be opportunities of threats to the business strategies of Ikea. There are following macro-environmental factors effecting marketing and business strategies of the Ikea and these can be analysed through PESTEL analysis: Political factors: the political factors include the rules and regulations of the UK government, which can be minimum wage, or the interest rate regulations. Economic factors: Economic factors include the inflation rates, or the interest rates which can impact the consumption parents of the customers effecting sales of the organization. Social: the UK is highly diversified with the multilingual and multinational people from all over the world. The trends in the social preferences of the customers can impact the business strategies of Ikea. Technology: there are various technological implementations in the market and these are more frequent in the UK market. B) With your understanding of the topic on Segmentation, propose segmentation criteria that the organisation can use for two products in different markets. The market segmentation is one of the basic elements for the development of the products of the business in the market and the segmentation refer to the identification of the customers with the similar needs and preferences based on the analysis of the customer needs and buying behaviours. The aim of the segmentation is to develop the groups with the same needs and buying behaviours. For example the sofa set for the home users and the business users will be demanded with different needs for the same product for the different market segments. The needs of the home users will be different as compared to the business users and this will also impact the buying behaviours if the customers as well. C) Sketch out those factors that influence the choice of targeting strategy by the organisation with reference to the financial capability of sponsors Targeting strategy: The targeting strategy is based on the analysis of the target groups based on the market segmentation and then the process and approaches of targeting potential customer segments is developed by the organization to develop market share of the product to be launched by business. The targeting strategy of the Ikea involve various steps which include the development and identification of the effective segment market, choosing appropriate segment for the product and then analysing the product to be offered in a particular market segment. The Ikea has developed the target marketing strategy for developing and offering various products for the different segments instead of the generic marketing. Importance of financial capability of Sponsor: One of the important factors affecting the business is the financial capability of the sponsor. The finances are the lifeblood of the business and for all business and marketing strategies the financial resources are considered as the important element to remain competitive in the business. for the success of the business good target market strategy and the financial sponsor ship is essential as these play as the backbone of the business to be more competitive in dynamic changing business environment. D) How does buyers behaviour affects marketing activities in two different buying situations putting into consideration The behaviour of the customers towards the product refer to the process of selecting, purchasing and consuming the product by the customers to attain satisfaction. And analysis of these abhors is essential for the business to develop effective strategies and products. There are various factors affecting the buying behaviours of the customers and these can be explained as given below, Cultural factors: the most important elements of the customer buying behaviour is the cultural factors as the buying behaviour of the customers is highly effected by the culture of the customers. For example the McDonald was failed in India when they introduced beef burger and the organization faced huge losses. Social Factors: the social factors contain the reference groups like the role, status and family. Personal factors: the personal factors include the analysis of the age, occupation, income levels, life styles and the economic status of the customers. Psychological factor: these are also very important factors affecting the buying behaviours of the customers. These factors affect the buying behaviours of the customers of  the Ikea in different ways which can be in favour of the business and these can go against the organization. the increased income and life standard of the customers may lead to increased sales level of the products of the organization same the families will be buying more products of the business as compared to the single. Task 1.3: A) Describe how products are developed By Ikea There are different steps are involved in the product development strategy of the Ikea for the product development in the market to attain sustainable growth in the business. There are following steps performed by Ikea for the effective product development by the organization, Idea generation: the product development strategy if Ikea starts with the idea generation in which the idea regarding the new product is developed and shared, these ideas can be internal or the external. The internal ideas are the innovation by the organization while the external ideas can include the development of product as a result of competitor’s idea. Idea screening: the next step is idea screening which includes the analysis of the market acceptability, impact on satisfaction of the customers, analysis of the demand of the customers and then the approval of the idea based on the rate of success of the given idea. Concept development and Testing: after approval of the idea in screening the next step is to execute the idea into concept and the feasibility of product development is identified in this section, which through the analysis of the skills, abilities and sources required developing the required product. Concept development and Testing: the next step is the execution of the idea into product and then the features and quality of the product is tested and analysed. The target markets and customers are identified for the given product. Marketing: after development of the product the next important step is to communicate the product in market through using different marketing strategies and marketing tools and techniques. This is analysed through the test marketing. Commercialization: the final step is the commercialization of the developed product to attain sustainable growth and success for the Ikea. B) Distribution Management: The distribution management refer to the process involved from the attaining raw material to the selling and delivering product to customers. The distribution includes the packaging, inventory, supply chain and logistics. The distribution strategies involve how the product will be developed and distributed to the end users in a more efficient way. There are two mediums used by the organizations for the distribution of the products and services of the organization to the final consumer, which include wholesaler and retailers. The Ikea is distributing its products by using wholesale medium of distribution. Wholesale market involves the selling goods and services of the organization direct to the buyers and for this purpose the Ikea has developed its stores in UK and Europe. This leads to the development and distribution of the product at flexible and low price. C) How are prices set to reflect an organisation’s objectives and marketing conditions? The pricing strategies include the identification of the pricing objectives, and then development of the pricing strategies based on these objectives, there are various pricing objectives of Ikea for determination of the price of products to be offered in the market, Financial Objectives; The financial objectives include, Profit maximization Maximizing sales revenue Improving cash flows of the business Marketing Objectives: Increasing sales Maintaining and growing market share Building brand D) Show an illustration of how the organisation (Ikea) integrates its promotional activities to achieve its marketing objectives. In recent years, many newspapers and television channels lost their audience, since traditional print and broadcast media as main promotional tools have faced major challenges (Gurevich et al., 2009). Research by Forrester Jennings conducted in 2007 shows that audiences and attention are shifting to online channels, as 52% of Europeans are regularly online at home. Around 36% of European Internet users watch less television, 28% have reduced their newspaper and magazine reading and 17% have decreased listening to the radio since going online (Palmer and Koenig-Lewis, 2009). Taking into  consideration the above facts, we can say that the information revolution (Internet, mobile and social media) is significantly changing traditional marketing campaigns, which can be adjusted to those new technologies. The significance of social media is shown by a recent study which was pointed out that an overwhelming 88% majority of marketers are now using some form of social media to market their business1. The same study, which set out to understand how and why marketers are using social media to grow and to promote their businesses, found that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs are the top four social media tools used by marketers1. Palmer and Koenig-Lewis (2009) define social media as an â€Å"online applications, platforms, and media which aim to facilitate interactions, collaborations and the sharing of content† (p.165). They further point out that the importance of social network media lays in the interaction between the consumers and the community, as well as in the facilitation of â€Å"asynchronous, immediate, interactive, low-cost communications† (Ibid.). One of the major examples of social media usage by companies is Victoria’s Secret’s Facebook page with its more than two million followers. On this page, followers can view videos, photos, take quizzes and print coupons2. In politics, the most significant example of social media use is the United States‟ presidential election in 2008. The Barack Obama campaign used such online promotional tools as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and others3. For the past two years, Facebook has overwhelmingly been pro-Obama virtual territory. Some have attributed Obama’s victory to a â€Å"Facebook effect†3. The Ikea has used the social media strategy for the integration of the marketing strategies with the product orientation and the promotional strategies of the business. Task 2: A) Attempt a suggestion of marketing mixes for two dissimilar segments in consumer markets. For the specialised market entry the company offering products in the consumer markets should develop and focus on the market segmentation and it should develop market segment. The marketing mix is developed by the business after the market segments for the development of the effective market share of the business. For example, a new brand in soft drink â€Å"Nix Cola† can be launched in specific consumer market like 99p or pound land as a established retailer. Once it gets success then it can be launch in different segments and restaurant and coffee shop. It would benefit the organisation from huge marketing costs and  will enhance its brand penetration in the market. C) Critically explain how and why international marketing differs from domestic marketing with reference to Ikea International marketing involves the satisfying the needs and demands of the global customers. Organisations should consider the values, customs, languages and currencies before doing the international marketing. For example advertising in Nepal and China should use in local languages. The potential market size, degree and type of competition, price, promotional differences, product differences as well as barriers to trade have to be analysed alongside the cost-effectiveness of various types of transport. But for the domestic marketing; organisation should consider for the local factors and local needs and demands of the buyer. So, in the case of Ikea as well company should consider the domestic and international marketing factors. People from all across the globe are keeping eyes on London so it should position its marketing strategy for international market and domestic market separately. References: B&C (2010), What’s This Stuff Called â€Å"Social Media†?‟ Benefits & Compensation Digest March 2010, Vol. 47 Issue 3, pp.1550-4190. Boyd, D.M., Ellison, N.B. (2007), Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, article 11 Bowler, Shaun David M. Farrell & Richard S. Katz (eds.). 1999. Party Discipline and Parliamentary Government. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press. Carabiner Communications (2009), „Social Media: How B2B Companies Can Connect‟ Available from http://www.carabinerpr.com/socialmedia/. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F., Johnston, K., Mayer, R. (2006), Internet Marketing, Prentice Hall: United Kingdom. Gurevitch, M., Coleman S., and Blumler J.G. (2009), Political Communication Old and New Media Relationships. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science; 625; p.164 Kotler, P (1975), Overview of political candidate marketing. Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 12 Kotler, P and Armstrong, G (2008), Principles of Marketing. Pearson Education Limited Learmonth, M (2009), Social Media Paves Way to White House. Advertising Age, Vol. 80, Issue 11 Mangold, G.W., Faulds, D.J (2009), Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion  mix. Business Horizons, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. (2009), p. 357-365. Menon, S.V (2008), Political Marketing: A Conceptual framework. ICFAI Business School, Ahmedabad. Mintzberg, H, Ahlstrand, B and Lampel, J (1998), Strategy Safari: A Guided Tour Through the Wilds of Strategic Management. The Free Press, New York, 1998. Newman, B.I. (2002), The role of marketing in politics. Journal of Political Marketing, Vol. 1, pp.1-5. Olausson, M (2007), The People’s Revolution: Implications of Web 2.0 and Social Media Applications. Strategy Analysis. Strategy Analysis LTD. Osuagwu, L (2008), Political marketing: conceptualisation, dimensions and research agenda. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 26, No. 7, pp.793-810. Palmer, A and Koenig-Lewis, N (2009), An experiential, social network-based approach to direct marketing. International Journal of Direct Marketing.Vol. 3, No. 3, pp.162-176. Rowley, J (1998), Promotion and marketing communications in the information marketplace. MCB University Press. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2007), Research Methods for Business Students. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Solomon, M. (2009), Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having, and Being. 8th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Stelzner, M.A. (2009), Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Michael A. Stelzner. Tozian, G (2009), Mastering Social Media Marketing: Its 6 categories and 10 benefits. Overland Agency, Inc 2009. Trebnick, C (2008), Social Media Market Dynamics and Impact on Communications Infrastructure. America’s Growth Capital. Weber, L (2009), Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business. Wiley inc. Yin, R.K. (1994), Case Study Research, Design and Methods, Thousand Oaks. Sage Publications, Inc. Yin, R.K. (2003), Case Study Research, Design and Methods. Third Edition. SagePublications, Inc. Zarela, D (2010), The Social Media Marketing Book. O‟Reilly Media, Inc. Zhang, W., Johnson J., Seltzer, T., Bichard, S. (2010), The Revolution Will be Networked: The Influence of Social Networking Sites on Political Attitudes and Behavior Social Science. Computer Review 2010, originally published online June 12, 2009.

Smaller Public Companies and Sox

Should Smaller Public Companies be Exempted from Complying with SOX Section 404(b)? ABSTACT On July 21, 2010 the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act provided the non-accelerated public companies (those with a market capital below $75 million) a permanent exemption from complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404(b). The Section 404(b) would have required these smaller companies to do what larger companies over the $75 million market cap are currently doing; requiring an external auditor to audit their internal controls over financial reporting.However, what may seem like a huge win for the smaller companies who long have complained about the cost out weighing the benefits of complying with the standard, does not appear that way to everyone. INTRODUCTION Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act Section’s 404 (a) and (b) were created to help restore the public’s trust in what public companies are reporting in their financial statements, as well as the opinio ns on the reports that the auditors are providing on the financial statements.SOX 404(a) implies that managements of public companies assess and report on whether their internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) are effective (United States Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC], 2009); in order to ensure that those requirements in Section 404(a) are being met, public companies are required to have an external auditor attest to management’s assessment over the ICFR (SEC, 2009). While SOX 404(a) is required by all public companies, Section 404(b) was required only by large companies (those with a market cap greater that $75 million).As for the smaller public companies (those $75 million and under), they were granted numerous extensions and were eventually permanently exempted. The main purpose of SOX 404 was to alleviate the growing tension between investors, government agencies, and public companies. While the public trust is continuing to be restored, according to r esearch and studies; unintended circumstances of the SOX 404 implementation caused massive financial burdens for smaller public companies (Garrett, 2009).The outcries from the small public companies were answered by numerous extensions on the compliance of SOX 404(b). This was in order to give these companies more time to get their internal controls in place for external auditors to attest to them. Finally, on July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) was passed. The Dodd-Frank Act provided permanent exemption from complying with the SOX 404(b) for non- accelerated public companies (those with a market capital below $75 million) (Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform, 2010, pg. 83). As a result of this Act, another issue surfaced as to why permanently exempt the smaller companies from SOX 404(b). All public companies, to include smaller public companies, should be held to the same standards and be subject to the rules under SOX 404(b). Ins tead of permanently exempted them, the SEC should have came up with a way to make it more cost effective to comply. This paper will address arguments from both sides of the Dodd-Frank Act, and why smaller firms should be required to comply with SOX 404(b).ANALYSIS The permanent exemption comes as a relief for the small public companies as complying with SOX 404(a) has been very expensive and time consuming. By adding to the cost associated with complying with SOX 404(b), it would be more than they would be able to handle. A study conducted by Financial Executives International, showed that the cost of complying with SOX for those public companies whose market cap was under $100 million was approximately $824,000 compared to $1. million for those who market cap is between $100 million to $500 million, at the time the article was written (Wolkoff, 2005). Furthermore, Wolkoff (2005) goes on to say that at the AMEX median, the median revenue for its companies are $57 million, which mean s that for these companies to comply with SOX 404(b) it would cost close to 1. 5% of its median revenue(Wolkoff, 2005). Specifically, Wolkoff states that this could â€Å"severely† have a negative impact on these companies operating margins and â€Å"in many cases to near zero — and depleting funds available for a reinvestment† (Wolkoff, 2005, pg. ). In addition, resources that could be used for other more important business needs would be diverted to costly â€Å"tedious documentation requirements†, and would not be worth the benefits derived (Garrett 2009, pg. 1). Even after the creation of Auditing Standard No. 5 (AS5), a study done by George Washington University, found that the decrease that larger public companies found with the relief provided from AS5 was not the case for smaller public companies (Garrett, 2009).Furthermore, NASDAQ research showed that based on revenue percentage it would cost 11 times more for smaller companies than larger compan ies to comply with SOX 404 (b), which creates an â€Å"unfair competitive advantage for larger companies† (Garrett, 2009 pg. 1-2). Not to mention that these smaller companies believe that the cost associated with SOX 404(b) far outweighs the benefits of compliance (Wolkoff, 2005).On the other hand, opponent’s of the Dobb-Frank Act believes that despite the George Washington University and NASDAQ studies, SOX 404 costs are still expected to go down and that the reduction is not only due to the implementation of AS5, but because of other factors. For instance, the cost of complying with SOX 404 is expected to continue to go down as companies continue to implement and document effective controls and move into the â€Å"maintenance phase of monitoring and reporting† (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006, pg. 7).As this relates to SOX 404(b), this could also mean that once the external auditors have completed their first audit of the company’s internal controls and improvements are made based on the outcome of the audit, audit fees should go down because the audits will become easier since any ineffective internal controls should have been or is being addressed. Another SOX 404(b) obstacle that proponents of the Dobb-Frank Act believed threatened the small companies was that the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) was trying to take a â€Å"one size fits all† approach.Meaning, the SEC was trying to use the same standards for both large and small companies when regulating corporate governance. Proponents felt that this was unfeasible because larger companies were in a better financial position to handle the expense for consultant and external audit fees that came with the SOX 404 regulations. For example, an increased auditing bill to $500 thousand for a company who has a $10 billion market cap would not have the same effect on a company with a market cap of $100 million (Wolkoff, 2005).Conversely, an analysis done by CRA International for the Big Four, reported that audit fees did not make up the majority of the cost associated with SOX 404. Specifically, the smaller of the larger companies that had to comply with all sections of SOX 404 (i. e. , those with market caps between $75 and $700 million); 35% of those costs were related to audit cost (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006) as it relates to SOX 404(b). Additionally, those companies with a market cap over $700 million, only 26% were related to audit cost (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006).Although the compliance with SOX 404(b) was implemented to restore investor’s confidence, Wolkoff (2005) states that in doing so caused a deterrent in the number of small firms that would go public both domestically and overseas. The Amex has seen the impact as the number of small companies that have delisted from the Exchange has increased (Wolkoff, 2005), and those that would have joined decided not to, which reduces the number of initial public offerings in the United States.The SOX Act, specifically, Sections 404(a) and (b), didn’t take into account that large companies have a more complex business structure, which makes for more complex accounting practices (Wolkoff, 2005). For example, the segregation of duties obstacles that many smaller companies are faced with and do not have the resources to fix this control problem. According to Wolkoff (2005), the SEC should have taken that into consideration the â€Å"market cap† or â€Å"minimal revenue† that a company generates and apply different standards accordingly (pg. 1).Another point that proponents of the Dobb-Frank Act made was that scandals like Enron are least likely to happen in smaller public companies. The reasoning behind this is that smaller companies are not normally out to cheat themselves. This is because these smaller companies are usually run by the people that founded the companies or closely related (Wolkoff, 2005). However, by requiring smaller public companies to comply with SOX 404(b), will not only ensure that they are in compliance with SOX 404(a), but it will also help these companies by uncovering inefficiencies in some processes.This in turn will help the companies because it will â€Å"†¦makes fraud harder to commit and easier to detect† (Aguilar, 2010, pg. 33). Especially since smaller companies are in a better position and at greater risk for committing fraud and accounting manipulations (Aguilar, 2010). Furthermore, who is to say those smaller companies’ investors do not deserve the same level of confidence and â€Å"financial reporting safeguards† that larger public companies’ investors are receiving (Solnik, 2010).In addition, studies have shown a correlation between â€Å"weak internal controls and poorer earnings relative to effective internal controls† (Hamilton, J. , 2009). In time of a declining economy, the temptations for fraudulent r eporting is increased and by having smaller companies comply with SOX 404(b) serves as a deterrent for those temptations (Hamilton, J. , 2009). Lastly, smaller public companies feel that they have already spent a lot of money just to be in compliance with SOX 404(a), and do not feel the need to be monitored by external auditors.This is because they feel that are capable of monitoring, finding, and remediating deficiencies through internal audits (Solnik, 2010). However, as previously mentioned, SOX 404(b) was not only put in place to ensure that public companies were in compliance with SOX 404(a), but to also have it attested by an independent auditor. This not only helps restore investor’s confidence, but also provides the public companies beneficial information as to whether or not they have proper controls in place and/or additional controls are needed.Moreover, small companies may be putting themselves at risk especially, if the investors penalized them for not meeting th e â€Å"transparency norms† that is projected by external auditors (Silverstein, 2008 pg. 26). Especially since there are approximately 7,300 smaller public companies, which accounts for 65% of the overall public companies (Hamilton, J. 2009). CONCLUSION While there are good cases made from both sides of the Dobb-Frank Act, permanently exempted smaller companies doesn’t solve the issue of ensuring compliance with SOX 404(a) is being followed.More importantly, it doesn’t provide the smaller public investors with the same confidences as large public investors as to whether or not the proper controls are in place, and/or whether the controls are effective. By having external auditors attest to ICFR it will provide the smaller companies’ investors the same boost of confidences as its larger counterparts. Instead of permanent exemption, other means should be looked at in order to make it to where it is cost effective to comply with SOX 404(b).Also, as recommen ded by the Key Advisory Committee, â€Å"[e]xempt some smaller public companies entirely from SOX 404 reporting requirements, but add stricter corporate governance requirements for those companies† (How Potential Changes in Small-Company, 2006, pg. 6). That way we will not have to wait until another scandal is made public to scramble and make these changes; as the old saying goes, â€Å"It’s not if, but when†. REFERENCES Aguilar,  M. (2010,  May). Small filers struggle with internal controls over fraud. Compliance Week,  7(76),  33,74.Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Conference Report to Accompany H. R. 4173. House of Representative , 111th Cong. 583 (2010). Garrett, S. 2009. Garrett introduces SOX exemption for small businesses, Press release, Oct. 8,2009. Hamilton,  J. (2009, June). Section 404 works and is important for small companies, Aguilar feels. SEC Filings Insight,1,4. Retr ieved from ABI/INFORM Global. How potential changes in small-company SOX regulations could affect your firm. (2006,  February).Accounting Office Management & Administration Report,  06(2),  1,6+. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry Silverstein, M. (2008,  December). (Sarbanes-Oxley Revisited:) The Good, the Bad, the Lessons. New Jersey Business,  54(12),  26. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Dateline Solnik, C. (2010,  July). Small companies push to gain permanent exemption from Sarbanes-Oxley requirement Silverstein nts. Long Island Business News. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Dateline. United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Economic Analysis. 2009). Study of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Section 404 Internal Control over Financial Reporting Requirements. Retrieved from http://www. sec. gov/news/studies/2009/sox-404_study. pdf Whitehouse,  T. (2009,  April). SOX 404 Compliance Improves for All but the Small. Compliance Week,  6(63),  42-43. R etrieved from ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry. Wolkoff, N. L   (2005,  August). Sarbanes-Oxley Is a Curse for Small-Cap Companies. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition),  p. A. 13. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global.

To what extent is the work of philosophers such as Popper, Kuhn, Essay - 1

To what extent is the work of philosophers such as Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos and Feyerabend useful in forming a critical judgement of modern economic practice - Essay Example e complexities that most people tend to consider irrelevant but I believe mostly significant in order to fully comprehend the standards of the era we are living right in. I would want to examine and expound more of the modern practices that various economists of today have been doing so as to provide and present a clear illustration and brilliant depiction of an intermingling global economic viewpoint. Doing this, I shall be indulging and expounding more of the different approaches, methods and technical procedures that recent philosophers have used in various investigations and explanations of economic concepts and theories. As for this paper, I would not only be elaborating further on how these economic concepts affect the people’s mind-set, but I shall be of critique as to how these theories have shaped the contemporary practices that we can observe today. Having said this, I should note that economics, as a whole, as what Pheby has said in Methodology and Economics is not exactly similar, in fact very different, with other behavioural sciences and physical sciences like sociology, political science, physics and chemistry respectively. This is since economics is a very strange branch of science that is somehow dependent on human actions and on how these actions are deemed important as to the evaluation of results and analysis of consequences and outcomes (Blaug 1980). To start my observation and analysis, I would want to give and make sense of the technical definition of empirical research as the basis of my fundamental argument. As lifted from a journal article entitled Empirical Research published by the Norfolk State University, empirical research has been defined as the systemic research process which only involves predetermined observations and measured phenomena. It reports and publishes facts and figures based on observed results and actual experimental quantifications in order to generate a relationship and draw numerical conclusions involving two or

Treasure Island Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Treasure Island Journal - Essay Example Jim’s father passes away during these chapters as well. Another character, a blind man comes looking for Billy Bones. He gives Billy a black spot which appears to be a secret pirate code. Jim is very fearful during these chapters. He is not only afraid for himself, but also for his mother. Though Jim is enthralled by the pirates he is also afraid of what they can do and at the end of chapter three he flees the Admiral Benbow with his mother. April 15, 2011 This entry will discuss chapters four through six. Jim and his mother decide to return to the inn. Billy Bones is now dead from a stroke. They take the key from around Billy’s neck and use it to open the sea chest where they find gold. Jim and his mother take some gold and a few papers before fleeing the inn for fear the pirates might return. Both of them manage to hide near the inn. Jim sees the pirates approaching, which included the blind man. It is revealed the blind man’s name is Pew. The pirates seem to b e looking for something in particular and when they don’t find it they become violent and enraged. Pew is killed when he is run over outside the inn by men on horseback. Jim thinks that the papers he took from the sea chest may have been what the pirates were looking for. Jim brings the papers wrapped in oilskin to Dr. Livesey who is at Squire Trelawney’s house. ... April 16, 2011 This entry explores chapters seven through twelve. Squire Trelawney is able to secure a ship and crew. The ship is called the Hispaniola. Squire Trelawney meets the character, Long John Silver in Bristol who assists him and asks to come along on the voyage as the ship’s cook. Squire Trelawney accepts. Jim comes to Bristol to meet up with Squire Trelawney and Long John Silver. Jim brings Tom Redruth along to be part of the ship’s crew. Jim meets Long John Silver at a tavern called the Spyglass. Jim seems to like Silver very much. Dr. Livesey meets Silver and likes him immediately as well. The character Black Dog appears again in the Spyglass, but leaves abruptly when he sees Silver. Also introduced in these chapters are the Captain Smollet and the first mate Mr. Arrow. Mr. Arrow disappears quite early on. It is not clear what exactly happened, but his drunken ways may be to blame. Job Anderson becomes the new first mate. Jim overhears an important conversa tion while hiding in an apple barrel one night. Silver talks about some of his adventures with the dead pirate Captain Flint. Jim now realizes that Silver and most of the crew members are pirates and are out for the rest of Flint’s treasure. Jim confides his new found information with Squire Trelawney and Captain Smollet. April 17, 2011 I have read chapters thirteen through fifteen and this is my account of it. The crew drops anchor and goes ashore but some remain behind. Jim and the other honest men try to reclaim the ship and figure out what to do about the pirates. Jim leaves his friends to go ashore with the pirates and then hides. The others on board the ships begin to arm themselves with weapons. So far Silver suspects nothing. Jim witnesses Silver killing one of his

Ratio Analysis Case Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ratio Analysis Case - Speech or Presentation Example Investors of the company regard it as a poor investment because it has poor current and future performance. They anticipate lower growth in the future. As far as the well-being of the common stockholders are concerned, the company is able to provide them some returns in the form of dividends even though it might be lower than that of other companies in the industry. Stephens Company has a higher gross margin percentage implying reasonable profit as the company is keeping overhead costs in control. In terms of liquidity, the firm is relatively liquid. Its current ratio is greater than one meaning it is able to meet its near-term obligations with lots of ease. Its quick ratio is less than one implying that it  is unable to meet its short-term using its most liquid assets. The company is less liquid than other companies in the industry because it has lower quick and current ratios. In terms of efficiency, the company is less efficient in managing its liabilities and using its assets to generate income. Its average collection and sales period are more than that of other companies in the industry. The company’s efficiency in collecting its receivable is less than that of the industry. Additionally, the company has higher days’ inventory on hand. In terms of leverage, the company uses more debt than equity. It has a debt to equity ratio of 2. It is highly leveraged than other companies. Even, though it is highly leveraged, it has more cover for the interest expense (TIE=3.08 times), but the cover is less than that of other companies in the industry. In general, the company is able to pay both the long-term and short-term debts. The loan should be approved. First the company makes a reasonable profit which is sufficient enough for its daily operations. Secondly, the company has higher cover the for the interest expense implying lower risk as a result of bankruptcy. Finally, the company is able to provide common

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

Gangs - Assignment Example atson, supports the mission statements of organizations like The Peace Keepers, funded by Simmons, which uses mentors to curb violence and crime in communities by fostering a sense of pride and hope in communities besieged by violence, drugs and crime. Video taped messages by rappers Chuck D., Ludacris and Trenton native Wise Intelligent of the Poor Righteous Teachers will be featured during the event. Jay-Z, who once attended Trenton Central High School, was ranked as the 10th best overall artist of 2000-2009 by Billboard Magazine and was crowned by MTV as the ‘Greatest MC Of All Time.’ He is one of the four wealthiest hip-hop artists/producers besides 50 cent, Russell Simmons and Sean Combs. The rally is a community response to the horrifying news of the gang rapes of 15 and seven year old sisters at the Rowan Towers apartment complex last week by several males while at a party.† (New Jersey Newsroom, 2010) For the purpose of this essay, I interviewed a number of students who attend Trenton Central High School who also attended this concert rally, in order to see how they felt about the case, gang violence, and hip hop in relation to gangs. A lot of people, for example 7 out of the 10 people I discussed this with, all believed that hip-hop contributes to violence and gangs by glorifying the lifestyle and violence. But none of the same ten felt that hip hop music was any influence in the case of the 7 year old girl. In the majority opinion, 6 people believed that the sister was to blame for actually being a prostitute and pimping out her sister to the boys in the gang. Four of the 10 people questioned believed that the boys were to blame for the rape and not the sister. More of the surveyed people would blame the individuals for this crime, but blame the gangs (7/10) for the increase of drugs in the community vs. the individual users (3/10) who create the demand for drug supply. Almost all (8/10) agreed that the way gangs glorify drug use, drug dealing, and

With reference to the Arab Spring, assess the utility of the Essay

With reference to the Arab Spring, assess the utility of the Foucauldian notion of resistance, as opposed to the Critical Theory concept of emancipation - Essay Example ies which were affected, the protestors used common ways of civil resistance such as demonstrations, strikes, peaceful rallies and marches as well as the use of social media platforms to mobilize, raise awareness, organize and enhance coordination between the protestors. Most of the demonstrations were often met with violent repression from the regimes which they sought to challenge. For example in places like Libya, the Gaddafi regime used counter demonstration attacks in its attempt to crush the popular revolt. In an attempt to understand the causes of the recent Arab spring across most Middle Eastern countries, many researchers have increasingly adopted both the use of the concept of emancipation as well as the Foucauldian notion of resistance. According to Leonard (1990, p. 126), critical theory is defined as a critique to the social injustices which result from capitalism, misappropriation of public resources and the commoditification of our contemporary society. Critical theories attempt to explain the present social conditions, how such conditions have transformed as well as how they maintain their validity in the changing society. On the other hand, Foucauldian notion of resistance suggests that resistance such as the events witnessed during the Arab spring are largely a reaction to the domination and pervasive power. According to Foucault, there can be no power without resistance. This paper critically analyzes the critical theories with particular focus on the use of Foucauldian notion of resistance as opposed to the concept of emancipation in the critical theory. The two concepts of resistance and emancipation are closely related in that they both attempt to explain the attempts by individuals and societies to minimize domination, achieve equality as well as the efforts to achieve more political and social rights. There are however a number of differences between Foucauldian notion of resistance and the concept of emancipation. As opposed to

Cinematography in Bollywood and Hollywood Research Paper

Cinematography in Bollywood and Hollywood - Research Paper Example The research is aimed at comparing the cinematography techniques in Bollywood and Hollywood. The research will compare the various shooting methods used in the two film industries, especially in regards to the similarities and differences. This research is aimed at discovering the effect of the cinematography techniques on the final product of the film industry, which in turn provides the justification for the stiff competition in the industries. It is evident that the cinematography techniques used in film production goes a long way in affecting the culture of the final consumer. Quantitative research has indicated that culture in many countries is usually affected by the depictions in the movies, and this qualitative research will emphasize the effect of the cinematography techniques on the movie itself. Research Design As already stated, this research is a quantitative study that aims to compare the cinematography techniques of Bollywood and Hollywood. This comparative study will compare the techniques used by film directors to depict their movies, and thus affect the audience. The qualitative research design methodology that will be used is historical research design. In this process, two historical movies, one each from the Bollywood and Hollywood film production industry will be analyzed. As already stated, the research problem is the difference between the movies produced in Hollywood and those produced in Bollywood. The research will rely on inductive and logical reasoning to determine the differences between the two movie productions. After the identification of the research problem, the next step is the collection and evaluation of primary source data. The source data in this case will be the two movies being analyzed for the differences in cinematography styles. Scope and Sample The scope of research usually identified the areas that the researcher is trying to study and the expected conclusions, analyses and results. In this case, the broad research scope for this study is to find the differences and similarities between the two movie industries mentioned above. This research will focus on the cinematography styles used in the two industries, which will be a representative of the whole industry. As already stated in the research proposal, the research will focus on the following questions that will set out the scope of the paper. 1) What are the preferred shooting methods and techniques in Hollywood? 2) What are the preferred shooting and techniques in the Bollywood film Industry? 3) What are the effects of the shooting techniques and methods on the final products of the Bollywood films and Hollywood films? As already mentioned, the sample that will be used in this research is a cross-section of movies and films from the two movie industries. The movies will each be analyzed in terms of their cinematographic techniques and the effects of the techniques on the final product. Research Instruments Qualitative research based on hi storical or past events or procedures is usually evaluated differently from other kinds of research. As already stated, the two movies that will be analyzed will be analyzed in terms of their cinematography techniques. This means that the movies will be analyzed using inductive and logical reasoning. Since the research is historical, the two main techniques that will be used are external and internal criticism. This means that

Does nuisance law reflect well notions of corrective, distributive and Essay

Does nuisance law reflect well notions of corrective, distributive and retributive justice - Essay Example In a more sophisticated view, nuisance in accordance with English law can  generally be separated into two kinds of torts a) private nuisance, where the dealings of a respondent are becoming a cause to obstruct the usage of land or its bounties to be enjoyed unreasonably b)  public nuisance where the respondent’s doings are becoming a cause of inconvenience to the life of Her Majesty’s subjects. In the eyes of the law of the land, the public nuisance is also considered as an offense. The tort law allows the claimant to enjoy their right to provide evidence that the respondent’s doings are causing obstruction unreasonably. In fewer situations, the intention of the respondent should be taken into consideration. The question at this point of time comes in the minds of general public that what is the difference between the public nuisance and the private nuisance. ... We may find in the books of laws more comprehensive theories on the principals of justice, which by all means are important factors to provide justice at the doorstep of a victim and aim at to create harmony and brotherhood in the civilized society. According to John Rawls statement, â€Å"Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought†4. Branches of Justice It ensures justice is not done but seems to be done. Introducing punishment for the violators against their crimes plays an important role in reducing the crime rate in the society. Until and unless exemplary punishment is given to the criminals, no society can claim enforcement of law and order situation in the country. Under the mentioned scenario, the justice can be segregated into following segments: Corrective Justice Corrective justice at first integrates the positions of the petitioner and the respondent. The injustice done by the respondent and suffered by the petitioner at th e hands of defendant forms a solo juridical event in which each stakeholder participates in the presence of the other. In accordance with corrective justice, liability normally relates to either of the participants, which are in isolation from the other. Take the example, of the defendant, which is being subject to economic benefits or it is possible to ensure compensation to the petitioner’s loss. However, there is another alternate for stakeholders to settle their disputes out side the court purview5. Secondly, corrective justice provides an opportunity of ratification both for the petitioner and the defendant. The responsibility of the court is to examine the case minutely before announcing the judgment

Is skill in implementing coordinated information technology really a Essay

Is skill in implementing coordinated information technology really a competitive advantage for a firm Why or why not - Essay Example nt of the effective human resource and sphosticated technology establshment is simlimy intended for taking a better competetive edge or is also aimed at improving the business, operations managemnt, business managnet and corporate processes handling. This paper will analyze and assess the answer of this question. This paper will also outline differetnt aspects of information technology implementation regarding the corporate business opertions enhancment or simply taking a better competetive edge. Data are collection of unprocessed facts demonstrating events occurring in firms or the physical environment prior to they have been structured and organized into a structure that people can identify and make use of these facts. Data can include text, numbers, images and videos. On the other hand, information refers to data that have been processed or transformed into a form that is valuable and functional to human beings (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, p. 6; Norton, 2001, p. 4; Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 7). Oz Effy (2008) states that decision making and problem solving both require information. Decision making is vital part of everyone’ life, as people perform theirs tasks, play games, communicate or do anything they need information. In a corporation gathering the accurate information efficiently, storing properly so that it could be utilized and manipulated when needed, also making use of it to assist the firm or individuals to accomplish personal or business objectives . Therefore, the main intention of information technology implementation is to facilitate and support the above mentioned areas. We can utilize and apply these understanding and information for getting the success in all the areas. In a corporation an information system (IS) encompasses hardware, data, telecommunications, activities, software, and workers. Oz Effy (2008) mentioned that, an increasing number of ISs are modules of a huge enterprise system, like ERP or SCM system (Oz, 2008; Laudon &

A Farewell to Arms Essay Example for Free

A Farewell to Arms Essay A writers job is to tell the truth ? Ernest Hemingway. This quote means that it is a writers job to convey some sort of truth or accuracy to the reader. I agree. This is shown in the novel, A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway through the setting and characterization in the novel. It is also shown in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee through the themes and setting of the novel. In the war novel, A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway demonstrates that it is a writers job to convey some sort of truth to the reader through the setting of the novel. This novel takes place during a time of war and shows what war is like, realistically. For a war novel, there is not a lot of fighting but instead more of getting from one place to another and the situations that occur in the interim. This portrays a truth to the reader because it shows how war is in reality and that it is not all death and destruction. Hemingway expresses the emotions of the characters accurately for time of war and conditions or situations the characters are put into. The author shows us the characters interact with each other and how they deal with the war surrounding them. For example, in Book III of the novel, the priest says that people that summer finally realized the war and that people were gentler because they had been beaten. This, truthfully, shows how war affects people and their emotions because it shows how they are disappointed. Through the setting of the play, Hemingway tells the truth by stating that people are trapped biologically because of their setting and the fact that it is human condition. In the novel, Frederic feels trapped because of Catherines pregnancy. In the novel, A Farwell to Arms, the author establishes that a writers job is to deliver accuracy and truth to the audience of the piece of work through characterization in the novel. Hemingway shows the reader what war can do to a person. He shows this through Frederics personality and his change throughout the story. Frederic went from an innocent man who joined the army because he was in Italy at the time and spoke the language and after a lot of experience becomes cynical. This work of literature also shows how war can be dehumanizing on an individual. In Book III, Frederic shoots at a sergeant and thinks nothing of killing another human being because thats what occurs in war. Another way that the author tells truth in this novel is by showing that some characters keep their morals and human values. For example, in Book III, Frederic stops his fellow officers from harassing the two young girls who needed a ride. During the war times, most men did not have respect for their fellow people but Hemingway shows the reader that a select few fight to keep their morals straight. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee confirms that a writers job is to tell the reader the truth through the themes of this novel. One theme of this novel is racism; the townspeople are prejudice towards Tom Robinson because hes black. Even though, many know and believe that he is innocent and he did not rape Mayella they still blame him and find him guilty in court. Another theme of this novel, that shows truth as well, is the coexistence of good and bad. Harper Lee shows his reader that in his story, just like it is in the real world, good and bad exists. The good in this story is Atticus and him trying to fight for Tom and stands up for him as his attorney to show he supports him even though the town turns against him and he knows he cant win. The bad in this story is racism and inequality. The author of this novel conveys a lot of truth because these problems still occur to this day in real life situations. Another important theme that expresses truth to us from the author is innocence and the loss of that innocence. When the novel begins, Scout and Jem seem very innocent to the evil in the world, mostly because they had not ever witnessed it. After they see the racism, prejudice and unjust treatment that are put onto many characters they start to lose that childlike innocence. This is a strong truth, to this day. Young innocent people are losing and missing out on a lot because of their environment and surroundings. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the author shows the audience that the writers job is to distribute the truth to the reader through, the literary element, of setting. This story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is home to many complacent, racist and prejudice people. The people of Maycomb try to ignore the truth that is plain to see by not acting on it. They let people in the town, who may be of different skin color like Tom Robinson, be stepped on and treated unfairly just because of his skin tone while many of the people of the town know he is innocent. During the course of the novel, the Great Depression is occurring. This sets the stage for poverty to be a strong point in this story. The characters make this a separation element. Another factor of setting that expresses truth in this novel being in the South in these days. The South had many rules and segregation laws concerning black citizens and white citizens. This caused an increase in the racism. As shown above, the two novels, A Farewell to Arms and To Kill A Mockingbird, both have many literary elements that help the author to express truth in his/her literary work. Some of these literary elements were setting, characterization and theme among many others.

Must visit places in Ladakh

Must visit places in Ladakh Ladakh is a land with extraordinary charm. Surrounded by two of the worlds most fascinating mountain ranges, the great Himalayas and the Karakoram, this destination of India is endowed with captivating geographical features. Some of the best places in Ladakh are: Leh: Leh, the crown of Ladakh, is a famous city known for its mind blowing attractions. The snow-capped mountains, the charming river and the beautiful valleys, all combine to make this tourist destination a big hit with tourists. This land has been the center of Tibeto-Buddhist culture for ages. It is one of the best places for mountaineering. The Leh Palace and the beautiful Gompas are striking attractions. Alchi: It is a legendary Himalayan beauty located on the banks of river Indus. Having rich cultural heritage, it is a small village famous for one of the oldest monasteries of Ladakh, Alchi Monastery. Built in the 11th century, the monastery is decorated with beautiful murals and frescoes. Lamayuru: Enveloped in natural beauty, this small village is proud of its arresting Gompas. Surrounded by the huge mountains, the village is a home to the beautiful Kagyupa monastery, which is one of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh. Kargil: Kargil is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh. The town lies nestling along the rising hillside of the lower Suru basin. Two tributaries of the Suru River that meet here are the Drass and Wakha. The land available along the narrow valley and the rising hillsides are intensely cultivated which grow variety of vegetables and cereals. Kargil is also famous for fine apricots grown here. Kargil serves as an ideal base station for adventure activities like trekking, mountaineering, camping, river rafting, etc. Drass: Drass has beautiful pasture grounds and is the second coldest inhabited place in the world, where the temperature goes as low as -50 in winter. Drass has become famous in recent years because of Pakistans misadventure in the Tiger hill. One can have a lovely view of Tiger hill from Drass village. Zanskar: Zangskar is the most isolated of all the trans- Himalayan valleys. Zangskar comprises of two main valleys of Stod and Lunak, which converge below at Padum. The area remains inaccessible for nearly 7 months in the year due to snowfall and this makes this valley one of the coldest inhabited lands in the world. All the high passes are close in the winter and the river freezes on the surface. Zanskaris walk along the Frozon River called ChadarTrek to reach the Indus River. The route from Kargil to Padum via Penzi La is the only motorable road to reach Zanskar valley, which remains open from June to September. Padum: Once the capital of the Zangskar valley, today Padum is the administrative headquarters of the region and probably the most populous settlement of Zanskar. Stakrimo Gonpa is on a hill side and the 10th century monument carved on a huge rock near the river bank, provides epigraphic evidence that the region was influenced by Buddhism since ancient period. Nubra Valley: The Nubra Valley means the valley of flowers. The altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. above the sea level. The pleasant weather and natural beauty make this place a popular tourist destination. The main attraction in this area is Bactarian Camels around sand dunes, Deskit Samstanling monasteries. Khardung la Pass, and Camel Safari. Pangong Lake: What strikes the eye in coming first in view of this lake is the lovely colour of its water, especially towards evening, which is of the richest deep blue. The water of the Lake is not that as salty as sea water. The landscape on the way to Pangong is spectacular. Dhahanu-The land of Aryans: Dhahanu is situated to the south west of Leh, around 163 Kms. Being on lower altitude Dhahanu is warmer than Leh. The main attraction of this tour is Drokpa Community considered being as the last race of Aryans confined to the valley. Their feature is pure Indo Aryan and they have preserved their racial purity down the centuries. Their culture and religious practices are very similar to ancient pre- Buddhist religion known as Bon-Chos. So, find for yourself why Ladakh is one of the most gifted places in the world.

CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE CONTRIBUTION OF HERITAGE TO THE UK TOURISM

CRITICALLY EVALUATE THE CONTRIBUTION OF HERITAGE TO THE UK TOURISM In the growth of an economy there are those activities that contribute a lot to the growth; they act as the backbone of the economy. According to Boyd Timothy (2003) The UK has diversified such activities and tourism has contributed to huge earnings in the country that has gone ahead of other economic earning activities. Investing in heritage tourism has proved to pay dividends to the UK economy and has not disappointing since its inception. This paper critically evaluates the contribution of heritage to the UK tourism industry outlining the benefits that has come with it. Billions of pounds have been earned as income to the UK economy contributing a lot to the gross domestic products. It tackles the historical context of heritage, the value and role of heritage to tourism, the supply and demand of heritage and gives facts and figures on the issues. As explained by Davies Prentice (1995) numerous visitors have flocked to visitors the heritage sites such as museums to experience a taste of what UK has to offer. Heritage on the other hand consists of various types of tourism; these include events and festivals focused on heritage and traditions; physical attractions for instance museums and heritage centers; destinations that are associated with renowned people; holiday based packages e.g. tours to ancient sites; routes and journeys aligned to heritage place; themes in heritage; historic events; and traditional functions. The benefits that come along with tourism firstly include direct benefits such as businesses issuance of tourism products and services. According to the Deloitte Report (2008) there current contribution to the economy for direct benefits amount to  £52 billion which constitute 3.7% of the GDP. This figure has incorporated value addition to the tourism related products. There were also 1.36 million jobs in 2007 supported directly by tourism. These figures have risen to  £ 85 billion and  £86 billion in 2005 to 2007 (Deloitte Report, 2008). Secondly, is the contribution there is indirect benefits that include support given to tourism businesses. Thirdly there are spill over benefits that include retail, manufacturing and health and life services (Deloitte Report, 2008). In focus to the heritage tourism every tourist has his or her taste; this calls for various activities to tap every tourist to enjoy. The destinations, museums, tour operators have customized the heritage tourism to different levels which makes it possible for every tourist to be attracted in one way or the other. As stated in Light (1996) in Heritage Tourism and Historic Towns the development of tourist holidays where they are related to an aspect of tourism e.g. art history or historic railway development and touring heritage sites where tourists are guided to. Heritage tourism has been segmented in to three where the first are individuals who travel independently; groups who travel on shared heritage interests; and groups who travel together without a common interest in heritage (Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2009). Developing ways to get attractions for these segments has played a significant role in the development of tourism since there are customized products developed to target each segment. Heritage has brought about various benefits and is very important to the economy of UK. Heritage tourism is a major attraction for tourists from other countries which provide jobs and earnings to locals (Nuryanti, 1996). It is also a major source of foreign currency. In addition it provides revenue that is used for various beneficial purposes such as conservation. It also enhances the image of the country making it a major tourist attraction for levelers. Heritage tourism is concentrated in London, historical sites such as the York, Lincoln, and Edinburgh; the Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare and Wordsworth Grasmere and other famous people; and famous sites e.g. Stonehenge (Davies, Prentice, 1995). The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has been involved in the development and investment of tourism in the UK. According to the HLF report released in 2010 heritage tourism had contributed to a massive  £20.6 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009). This was higher than any other product or services industry such as advertising, filming, and car manufacturing in the UK. This highlights the need for increased investment so that there can be huge and better returns. It has also contributed to 195,000 full time equivalent jobs that has originated from historic buildings, the country side, parks, and museums (The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009). This means that the potential of heritage can be exploited to ensure the country grows and develops immensely from the earnings. Figure 1: heritage based visitor economy (Source: The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009) To critically analyze the earnings and activities in the industry there were more that 10 million trips made by tourists from foreign countries to the UK annually where 4 out of every 10 citing heritage as the key motivation behind the visits; this was more than any other single factor contributing to the trips. In addition, heritage tourism is worth  £12.4billion annually which is spent by the attracted visitors in heritage sites (The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009). This includes money spent in entrance fees to the heritage sites; and other purchases that are done connected to heritage products and motivation e.g. buying at curio shops, or restaurants and accommodation expenses for the tourists. Domestic tourism also known as staycation is also another source of income and part of the  £12.4billion earned (The Deloitte Report, 2008). An estimated 60% is obtained from domestic tourism where residents have supported their country grow though daily visits to such sites (The Deloitte Report, 2008). A whooping  £7.3billion has been spent in expenditure in the heritage industry where most of the money has gone to building, renovations and maintenances of heritage attractions, parks and museums. The GDP of the country has continued to benefit a lot from this investment where an estimated at  £7.4 billion annually has been earned as salaries and wages, profits ¸ and income by the tourism business community including hotels, curio shops, restaurants, and also the heritage sites included (The Deloitte Report, 2008). The addition of economic multipliers to the earnings such as proceeds earned by suppliers to the tourism dealings the annual total GDP contributed by heritage tour ism hits highs of  £20.6 billion annually. Figure 2: showing the sector contribution to the UK GDP (Source: The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009) It is with no doubt that these earning can be increased to higher figures in future through taping in to the high potential in heritage tourism. This means that the government in collaboration with the tourism departments must come up with more attractive policies that will ensure funding to tourism so that it has the framework that will support it have the best earnings (Nuryanti, 1996). In view of the fact that tourism is a fast growing industry and it can contribute maximally to those who invest in it; the unique part of heritage tourism should be advanced in the UK so that it becomes the leading figure in it. With such measures the countrys tourism sector will remain vibrant and sustainable presently and in future (The British Tourism Review, 2009). Heritage tourism is the 5th largest industry in the UK; this is contributed by the fact that the UK has a rich and vibrant heritage and very important not only to the numerous visitors who flock the country but also for the local, regional and national economies (Nuryanti, 1996). It has been revealed that a huge percentage of the visitors to the UK do so on the grounds of heritage, pageantry, history and culture. In tapping more to the potential of tourism through effective tourism weeks, marketing of the tourist sites and attractive holiday destinations the country stands to reap maximum benefits (The British Tourism Review, 2009). The HLF should enhance adaptability, welcome, place making, choice of goods and services, skills, quality, access, and information provision so as to ensure a successful industry (Nuryanti, 1996). The HLF should be driven by the fact that tourists spend on the basis of relative cost/bilateral exchange rates, destination attractiveness, overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP), consumer expenditure, and investment. There should also be effective management of factors such as security/safety, alternatives (availability/relative cost), taxation, globalization, incomes and inflation so that the visitors can have confidence in the trips to the country (VisitBritain, 2009). sSecurity is a major concern especially with the development of terrorism and many terror threats coming from terror groups that act as militia. Security may come as a threat in view of the London bombings and suicide bombings occurring globally targeted at developed countries. There must be more segmentation of tourist products to enable all people of different income levels are able to visit the sites; while taxation needs to be checked to ensure the participants in the heritage tourism industry are not affected negatively in their business. The HLF cannot do this alone but needs the help of all the stakeholders who must contribute to ensure an efficient tourism industry majoring on heritage as an asset. According to the Heritage Lottery Fund report, (2009) the HLF has the mandate to make this dream a reality because it remains very vicious and is achievable through proper mechanism. The most recent has been the investment of  £4.4 billion since 1994. The funding involved eight of the most attraction in England, twenty one of UKs world heritage sites and 14 national parks (The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009). Over the years there have been extensive studies on the progress of the investment where visitor surveys and economic impact studies. In the studies it has been found out that typical increase in the number of visitors by more than 50%; 88% of visitors rate the value for money of HLFs investment as either good or excellent; an estimated 32,000 jobs have been sustained in the tourism sector as a direct result of HLF funding; and every  £1million of HLF funding leads to an increase in tourism revenues for regional economies of  £4.2million over 10 years (The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009). The HLF focuses on enhancing heritage tourism through exploiting the potential in the strengths of the country which include natural/historical/cultural assets; the English language; accommodation; food and drink; and international connections (history and transport) (Boyd, Timothy, 2003). With these advantages on their side they are able to build a strong empire that contributes to vibrant growth in the economy and development of other vital sectors. There are weaknesses that make this exploitation a challenge which according to the The British Tourism Review, 2009 in the article Achieving The Full Potential Of The Visitor Economy include transport infrastructure; expense of visit not value for money (e.g. visitors pay the second highest amount of tax in the world); logistics (e.g. Visas) are expensive and complicated to attain compared with other countries; welcome and skills of people in the industry; and short summer seasons. In the Heritage Lottery Fund report (2009) it is estimated that 53% of people who make trips annually do so to experience what historic towns and cities have to offer; 42% make visits to the museums and galleries, translating to 40 million people annually visiting museums and galleries. 10 million trips are made to the historic parks, 1.2 billion visit the country side, 38 million visit historic buildings cathedrals and castles and an estimated 250 million visit the Britains inland natural features such as canals and waterways. Putting into consideration the high potential in the tourism sector can grow explicitly if developed; as cited by the HLF report Investing in success the tourism economy is estimated to grow by 2.6% annually between the years 2009 and 2018; this is a much higher estimate that the 0.8% estimated growth in retailing, manufacturing and construction sectors (The Heritage Lottery Fund report, 2009). In conclusion the potential in the heritage industry is immense and with the numerous gains there is need to ensure they are safeguarded from any destruction. More efforts are needed to make sure the full potential is achieved so that the economy can grow sustainable. Sustainable management should be key issues in the maintenance so that visitors can be encouraged to visit not just one time but numerously so as to increase income. The HLF has the challenge to make better policies that will ensure all the potential is exploited and also sustainable use of the resources. The UK government through HLF should make sure should develop policies that maximize on both volume and value; enhance adaptability, and support long term sustainable economic growth. A more efficient and effective heritage tourism industry should not only be the goal of the HLF and the government but also all stakeholders that benefit either directly or indirectly. There should also be very tactical measures that ensu re improved domestic heritage tourism which will not only make earnings but also teach the locals about their traditions and heritage.

Meetings :: essays research papers

Tips for Making Meetings Effective Throughout a project-oriented deployment, you will be required to conduct numerous meetings with your customer. If you plan them properly, you will be able to steer the project in the right direction. It also gives you the ability to gather all the key players in one room, put them on the same page, work through any issues that might have arisen and make any decisions that need to be made. When I first started running my own projects, I was given some great tips on what makes an effective meeting and felt that it might be helpful if I pass them on. Set Objectives – The art of setting objectives is something you will get better at with experience. You will want to give the attendees as much information as possible on why you have called the meeting and what you expect to accomplish. You will also want to set a clear timeline. Establish an agenda and distribute in advance – Send your attendees an agenda and a copy of the documentation you will be presenting to them. This gives them the opportunity to become prepared for the meeting and the opportunity to truly participate. Your results will fall short of your objectives if you give a customer a fifty page document and then turn around and ask if he or she has any questions. Send it out a few days in advance and let them know that you are willing to answer any questions they may have. Ask the attendees if they have talking points for the agenda and have them email those thoughts back to you before the meeting so you too will be better prepared. People love to participate. This shows them you are interested in what they have to say and also shows them that you like to be prepared in advance so as to not waste anyone’s time. Start and end the meeting on time (Don’t allow interruptions or sidetracking from the meetings agenda) – It is important for you to utilize your time as efficiently as possible. It is a good ideal to set tentative times for each item and then stick to them. You do this by the art of â€Å"on table / off table†. If you find the meeting getting off subject, you will want to take the subject â€Å"off table†. Then when you are documenting and assigning the next steps you will be able to schedule time for those questions / comments, if they are truly important.