A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay Example

A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay Example A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay A Seperate Peace Short Essay Essay Throughout the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles the main character, Gene Forester, who is also the narrator, discovers who he is as a person. He has become a mature adult by the end of the book, as apposed to his adolescence in the beginning of the novel. He makes these discoveries through the events that take place during his time at Devon. Three places that show the development of Gene’s maturity are when Gene visits Finny in Boston, when he didn’t give in to Finny’s fantasy of the war and when Gene finally accepts that he played a role in Phineas’ death. These events cause Gene to mature greatly. Gene’s increased maturity is first shown when he is returning to Devon after break and stops in Boston to visit Finny. The guilt of what Gene had done haunted him during the whole break. Gene confesses to deliberately jouncing the limb of the tree. When Finny becomes emotional Gene realizes, â€Å" †¦I was injuring him again†¦ this could be an even deeper injury than I had done before. † Gene thinks he is disturbing Finny’s view of the world. He is ruining the view of pureness and good Finny had. Gene’s realization shows that he has matured and sees what he is doing to Finny. When Finny returns to Devon he refuses to believe that there is a war. He creates a fantasy of what is really going on. Gene has always been pulled into Finny’s fantasies about the world but he has learned how to keep himself in reality. Gene says, â€Å"For a moment I was almost taken in by it. Then my eyes fell on the bound and cast white mass pointing at me†¦ it brought me down out of Finny’s world of invention†¦ down to reality, to the facts. Gene is no longer sucked into Finny’s views of the world. He is able to bring himself back to the realities of the world. Gene’s maturity continues to grow throughout the novel and he reaches his biggest point of maturity growth upon the death of his best friend, Finny. Gene accepts that he played a role in Phineas’ death. He realizes that his jealousy got out of hand and he had been angry about a non-existent rivalry. In the end he said, â€Å"†¦this enemy who attacked never attacked that way – if he ever attacked at all; if he was indeed the enemy. When he says this it shows that he recognizes that Finny never hated him. However, since Gene made up this rivalry he eventually had a part in Finny’s demise. Gene goes on a journey of self-discovery throughout the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Gene’s maturity grows immensely but especially when Gene visits Finny in Boston, when he didn’t give in to Finny’s fantasy of the war and when Gene finally accepts that he played a role in Phineas’ death. These events cause Gene to mature greatly.

School Violence Essays - Crime, Violence, Dispute Resolution, Ethics

School Violence Essays - Crime, Violence, Dispute Resolution, Ethics School Violence Violence in schools is a great concern in our society. The concern is heightened by the abundance of media coverage on a number of recent school shootings. With all of the news clips, sound bites, and Internet coverage swirling around in our heads, one might conclude that children are more violent today, than they were in recent years. But, school violence is not a new issue for the nineties; School violence has been around since the1950's, but then it was more an issue of juvenile delinquency than violent behavior. The difference between the two generations is that today student conflicts are more likely to be solved with the use of weapons. The fact is a gun is much more intimidating than a fist. There is nothing scarier than arriving at school afraid of what may happen next. Many students are faced with this problem everyday. Children should feel safe when they walk into school. Many people use violence as an expression to release feelings of anger or frustration. They think there are no answers to their problems and turn to violence to express their out of control emotions. Others use manipulation as a way to control others or get something they want. Violence is a learned behavior. Like all learned behaviors, it can be changed. This isn't easy, though. Since there is no single cause of violence, there is no one simple solution. The best you can do is learn to recognize the warning signs of violence and to get help when you see them in your friends or yourself. Teachers tend to believe that school violence is a result of sociological factors such as: lack of parental supervision, lack of family involvement and exposure to violence in the mass media. These factors could be traced to high divorce rates, both parents working and high availability of mass media, e.g. television, Internet, ect. Students who live in fear of violence, witness violent acts, or become victims of violence suffer an array of short-term and long-term consequences emotionally and physically. They have been found to be at greater risk for low school performance, absenteeism, truancy, school dropout and delinquency. In fact, research has shown that juveniles who are victimized, or who repeatedly witness violence, and do not receive immediate support in understanding and dealing with it are at higher risk of using violence as a means of dealing with their own conflicts; thus repeating the cycle of violence. Schools are not doing enough to protect students and other school personnel. Curing social ills could take a long time, so I propose a high security approach to the problem. The community may find this expensive and students find it oppressive, but how many more people have to die? I propose the following strategy: Police officers in every school; Metal detectors at each doorway; Some type of dress code-banning big clothes where weapons can be hidden; Hall monitors- hallways, doorways, restrooms and cafeterias; Train certain school personnel in weapon usage. Allow them to carry and store weapons on campus. If students knew someone else on campus had a gun to protect students, they may think twice about bringing one to school. This may sound severe, but this is a direct approach to the problem. Additional discipline is needed in order to stop school violence. We need more discipline in the family, in school, and even in public. We need to educate children that their actions do have co nsequences. As our country's morals keep declining and the murder rate continues to rise in schools, we will still be blaming our problems on anything but ourselves.

Virtual Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtual Team - Essay Example 1)." As a group, they have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose, have interdependent performance goals, and share an approach to work for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. The emergence of virtual teams has undoubtedly brought a huge impact in business organizations. According to IBM (2006), virtual team brings together various expertises in company disciplines such as product design, manufacturing, supply chain management and logistics. As GDT works together they can share ideas, experience and technical information to create better solutions which leads to the improvement of the organization's internal operations. Taking the aforementioned information into consideration, this paper will look at the positive effects of having a virtual team in the operation of a warehouse distribution center. This will be done by utilizing Michael Porters famous business tools-value chain and competitive forces. In the value chain model, Michael Porter classified business activities as either primary or support activities. Primary activities include: inbound logistics, production, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, maintenance. Meanwhile administrative infrastructure management, human resources management, R&D, and procurement comprise the support activities. Appendix 1 shows the primary and support activiti... All these activities in the value chain are designed to add value that the customer derived from the company's products or services (Value Based Management 2006). Virtual teaming in the value chain of a warehouse distribution center can bring about more efficiency in the functioning of the entire firm. Locating the warehouse distribution center in the value chain, we can see that it is after the production and before marketing and sales. Establishing a virtual team within the company can integrate the processes within the company. Due to technological innovation, communication within the value chain is more capable of transmitting information to different departments. For instance, the warehouse distribution center can closely collaborate with the other team members in the other departments through the company's intranet. Thus, from the procurement of inputs to the after-sales service, a virtual team can be organized to regulate each process in the value chain. The presence of virtual team makes it easy to monitor the inventory level in the warehouse distribution center and regulate production. It also becomes relatively easier to track inventory levels and replenish stocks to maintain them at the optimum level. Also, delivery from the warehouse distribution center to the customers can be best facilitated if there is a virtual team which oversees the transaction from the warehouse to the customers' doorstep. Of course, some of the functions mentioned above can be carried out by a physical team. However, it should be noted that the presence of virtual team is not hampered by geographic boundaries. It is most important for warehouse distribution centers which are located in two different continents. As information can now be

Initial Public Offering (IPO) Research Proposal

Initial Public Offering (IPO) - Research Proposal Example The present research study is a detailed examination of the under pricing and long term performance of 20 IPOs in Indian market listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or National Stock Exchange (NSE)or both. The paper attempts to investigate both under pricing and under performance of IPOs in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) for a period of one year. Initial Public Offering under pricing and long run poor performance of common stock has been an unresolved puzzle in the financial literature for many years. Researchers and practitioners have attempted many times to explore a theoretical base to explain the behaviour of IPO market in the history of capital market. But, after each study the findings seem to be totally different from that of the previous ones. No single study could explore all the issues connected with IPOs. The present study is an attempt to investigate into the under pricing phenomenon and the long-run performance of IPOs in Indian capital market during the period beginning from August 1st 2007 to August 11th 2008. The study takes only those IPOs which have been priced using book building procedure and listed on Bombay Stock Exchange or National Stock Exchange or both. This paper developed by Randolph P. Beatty & Jay R. Ritter involves two propositions. ... ng and the uncertainty of investors regarding its value are monotonously related and investment bankers enforce the resulting under pricing equilibrium. The empirical evidence support that when the investors lose on account of non receipt of initial return (no under pricing) and issuers will lose when there is too much of under pricing and thus forfeit the value of its reputation capital. Anatomy of Initial Public Offerings of Common Stock- Tinic, Seha M In this paper, Tinic and Seha M demonstrate the anatomy of IPOs. The paper revolves around the hypothesis that under pricing serves as a form of insurance against legal liability and the associated damages to the reputations of investment bankers. The authors, after their empirical study reveal observe that there are implicit support after t he Securities Act of 1933, for the implicit insurance hypothesis. They have located a relationship between gross under pricing and market segmentation among prestigious and fringe investment bankers in the post-1933 period. The Under pricing of Initial Public Offerings and the Partial Adjustment Phenomenon- Kathleen Weiss Hanley In this research paper, the authors demonstrate the relationship between the final offer price disclosed in the preliminary prospectus and the range of anticipated offer prices. They observe that these prices are a good predictor of initial returns. The authors conclude that "issues that have final offer prices which exceed the limits of the offer range have greater under pricing than all other initial public offerings, and are also more likely to increase the number of shares issued" (Hanley, 1993). The Opening Price Performance of Initial Public Offerings of Common Stock, by Christopher B. Barry and Robert H. Jennings In this article, the authors

Religion in Contemporary Societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Religion in Contemporary Societies - Essay Example The use of religion in such situation to further their anti-west sentiments had threatened the whole world. Fundamentalist elements are the product of totalitarian regimes, which nurtured and developed it for their particular interests. The modern Al-Qaeda and ISIS has been the creation of fundamentalist totalitarian authorities with the aid and support from western powers lead by United States of America. Anti-imperialist sentiments are also part of fundamentalist uprising against the imperialist’s design to divide the region and support anarchies of their own choice after the World War I. The anarchies set at that time on the whims of their imperialist masters sowed the seed of Muslim fundamentalism to legitimize their totalitarian rule as Islam allows such authority under Sharia. The focus of the paper will be on fundamentalism of the organization and its relevancy to their motives and political ambitions. In order to have deep understanding of the nature of organization this paper will also study their history and their religious-political development. Furthermore, the role of Western imperialists and their handpicked regional players and the resulting anti-imperialist sentiments culminating in these organizations will be discussed as a subsidiary part of the research topic. The ISIS and Al-Qaeda are the two fundamentalist organization nurturing terrorism. These organizations also have political ambitions inspired by religious notions. The concept of Islamic fundamentalist contradicts with their activities that are mostly driven by economic and sectarian ambitions. The fundamentalism depicted by these two organizations is too complex; hatred and atrocities on other Muslim and non-Muslim people; relationship between state and religion; and rivalry between th e two bands in application of the same ideology. The Salafist-Jihadism is the ideology of ISIS commonly shared with all other fundamentalist organizations like Al-Qaeda and

Consumers Perception Towards Online Shopping In Singapore Marketing Essay

Consumers Perception Towards Online Shopping In Singapore Marketing Essay During the few past years, the Internet has grown to new levels not even envisioned. The Internet changes the way people live, work and purchase. Demangeot Broderick (2007) state that Internet provides great advantages for the consumers, such as variety of products, services and prices from different suppliers Using Internet facilities, commercial organisations can develop new markets; and improve the competitiveness of the company (Eastlick et al., 2006). However, the Internet may also create threats to some organizations. The number of Internet users is increasing year by year. Figure 1 shows the growth of Internet users globally. The fast growth of e-shopping and the increasing number of e-retailers has created an extremely competitive market place(George, 2004). Competing issues create a need for managers to understand factors which influence people using Internet as a new purchasing media (Fraser et al., 2005). It is becomes essential for the companies to understand benefits and risks of online shopping in order to underline the benefits and minimize risks. Figure 1 Growth of Internet Users in the World Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/emarketing.htm 1.2. Background of the Country Singapore is an industrial country, which has a highly developed market- based economy. Total Singapore population is 4,987,600 (Singstat, June 2009) from which 72.4 per cent has an access to Internet at home (Singapore Internet Statistics, 2010). Figure 2 illustrates the Internet users growth in Singapore, which is 180.8per cent for the nine years period from 2000. Figure 2 Internet Usage http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm#asia Based on research, conducted by IPSOS in 2007 (Figure 3), more than 60% of online users in Singapore use online shopping, which gives high potential for online trade market. Figure 3 Online shopping statistics Source: http://www.insightbureau.com/insight_reports/mc_insights/2008_Q3_OnlineShopAP.pdf 1.3 Objectives, research questions and research hypotheses This study is intended to understand the buying process and behaviour of online consumers. The basic objectives of the study are: To determine consumer behaviour in online environment To identify the main influencers in online buying process To identify peoples attitude towards benefits and risks of online shopping Based on objectives identified, the following questions are raised: What are the main factors that influence consumer purchasing decision online? Is there any differences between online and offline consumer? What consumer segments are more likely to shop online? Is there any connection between identified factors and consumer segment groups? Based on objectives and questions above, conceptualizing framework for this research has been developed. The important variables are clearly showed through logical reasoning in the framework. Based on this framework, the null and alternative hypotheses are developed as the followings: There is a difference as well as no difference in perception on benefits of Internet purchasing between online and offline consumers There is a difference as well as no difference in perceived risks towards Internet purchasing between online and offline consumers 1.4. Scope With the fast growth of Internet commerce it becomes very important for companies to study consumer behaviour (Jobber, 2001). If the influencing factors in the online buying and selling process can be identified, than it can be meaningful for the online companies to give much emphasis on these factors. The majority of companies want to increase the overall volume of the business because this can lead to significant reductions in costs and competitive advantages (Kotler, 2003). This research will pay attention to consumer behaviour in the online environment, providing theoretical information about online purchasing behaviour of the consumers. Additionally, the present study is an attempt to get insight into peoples perceptions towards online shopping in Singapore. This study will specify on the perception of Internet users towards benefits and risks associated with online shopping and how company can avoid customers concerns about online shopping. Chapter Two: Literature review 2.1 Introduction Currently, e-commerce is getting huge attention from a range of organisation and customers due to the fact of fast Internet development (Lee Lin, 2005). Online shopping, as a part of E-commerce, is becoming a tendency in Singapore (Rotem-Mindali et al., 2006). Online shopping has both advantages and disadvantages. Purchasing behaviour is determined by consumers view of benefits and risks of online shopping. This literature review intends to review of all the relevant factors. Firstly, the definition of e-commerce and its growth will be defined. Secondly, theories regarding consumer perception and behaviour will be reviewed. Finally, the main benefits and risks will be summarized. 2.2. Definition of E-commerce There are different definitions of what is e-commerce. E-commerce is a very broad term used to describe process where electronic connections make resources exchange be possible (Vrechopoulos et al., 2001). In context of the Internet, E-commerce is used as a general term. The definitions of e-commerce are focused on buying and selling using the Internet. According to Mark van Ketel and Tim D. Nelson (2009) electronic commerce (e-commerce), a subset of e-business, includes selling goods and services, as well as purchasing and exchanging over the Internet. Torkzadeh and Dhillion (2002) describe e-commerce as a purchase and sale over the Internet. This includes the process of finding a product, ordering and receiving as well as costs and benefits of a product or service. Generally, E-commerce can be broken into two main categories: Business to business (B2B) is where business makes online transactions with other businesses (Turban et al., 2003) Business to consumer (B2C) is where online transactions are made between a business and an individual consumer (Wareham, 2000). 2.2.1 The importance of E-commerce According to Carla et al. (2006) Internet is a powerful instrument to buy, sell and distribute goods and services worldwide in a fast growing supply chain. Internet provides potential market that has no or little restrictions, such as geography or time (Blackwell, 2000). E-commerce provides enormous opportunities for growth and development. Through the Internet people can communicate with each other over vast distances. It allows commercially moving business and people to a market in which everything that is for sale is advertised and everything that is wanted for purchase is requested somewhere (Kanttila, 2005). Over the years E-commerce changing the way business used to work. According to Wareham, E (2000) Expedia sells more than $ 14 million worth of hotels and airline reservations a day from its web-site Federal Express in Singapore began to save $10,000 a day by creating customer service department online (Kotler, 2003). The Internet provides businesses with the opportunity to sell their products to millions of people, 24 hours a day (Bellman, 2006). Buyers and sellers can thus contact each other with no or little cost. The development of e-commerce is often claimed to be reshaping almost all industries (Pawlyna, 1999). It influences the operation of organisations and peoples activities greatly and brings fundamental changes to the way that business is conducted. E-commerce can enhance organisations performance by tangible and significant operational efficiency (Mutz, 2005). 2.2.2 The growth of E-commerce and online shopping The B2C and Internet usage rates are making stable progress and rising constantly. Electronic retailing, the B2C segment of e-commerce, is set to grow exponentially in the next few years (Siyal et al., 2006). Total online retail revenue is increasing year after year and expecting to increase in the nearest future (Shu et al., 2006). The increase of B2C e-commerce cannot help but to impact peoples attitude to buy goods. Currently, one in ten Singapore adults can be categorized as frequent online purchasers (Shun, 2006). Presently around 72.4 per cent of Singapore households are web-connected (Singapore Internet Statistics 2010), also this position is expected to grow over the next decades (Singstat, 2009) In the early stage of growth, e-retailing, the B2C segment of e-commerce is set to grow exponentially in the next few years (Tan, 2007). However, online shopping still remains as yet a minority pursuit with purchases concentrated in a comparatively narrow range of categories such as clothing and software, music and travelling (Shun, 2006). 2.3. Segmentation of Online consumers Vrechopoulos et al. (2001) segmented e-shoppers based on demographic, behavioural and attitudinal characteristics. Figure 4 illustrates classification of different segments of online shopping. Brown et al. (2003) classify e-shoppers according to purchasing motivations for shopping, which illustrated in Figure 5. Figure 4 Vrechopoulos, Siomkos and Doudikiss Segmentation of e-shoppers Characteristic On-off shoppers Online shoppers Interested in online shopping Social and demographic variables Gender Mainly men Men and women Age 25-44 18-44 Education University and postgraduate studies University studies Level of income Above average Average or above Material status Single Married Job Scientists, professionals, working in the private sector Scientist, public and private sector employees Attitudinal variables Home shopping motivations Time saving, opening hours Time saving, opening hours, exclusivity Online shopping motivations Fast delivery, low prices, range of products and opening times Home delivery, low prices, range of products and opening times Preferred payment method Cash on delivery, credit cards Cash on delivery Willingness to pay more than through traditional channels No No Willingness to pay delivery costs Yes Yes Source: Adopted by an author from Vrechopoulos, A., Siomkos, G. Doudikis, G. (2001) Figure 5 Segmentation of online consumers according to purchase motivations Type of shopper Purchase motivations Personalised shopper Personal relationship with the seller. Service adapts to shoppers needs Recreational shopper Enjoys the act of shopping Economic shopper Achieve the nest quality-price relationship for the purchase Involved shopper Enjoys shopping and values personal relations Convenience shopper Values time and effort. Enjoy reduced prices Local shopper Loyal to a brand or shop in their local area Apathetic shopper Rejects the act of shopping. Values the convenience of Internet Source: adopted by an author from Brown, M., Pope, N., Voges, K., (2003) 2.4 Consumers behaviour theories 2.4.1 Consumers perception and consumer behaviour Pawlyna (1999) identified perception as an initiator of behaviour. Additionally, perception can be considered as a process of information extraction. Even in the same reality, different people tend to perceive differently. Its vital to understand, that peoples perceptions are more important than the reality in marketing (Kotler, 2000). The factors, which influence consumers purchasing behaviour online can be identified by understanding customer behaviour. In most studies perception identified as input, while behaviour as output, and treated as two separate phenomena. Rotem-Mindali (2006) suggested that perception and behaviour are two sides of the same phenomenon and are closely related to each other. Current study considered perception and behaviour as one integral part in order to understand customer perception and reasons which affect it. 2.4.2 Consumer decision process There are several models (see Appendix 1), which describes customer purchasing behaviour, though they all have similar attributes that should be considered as fundamental stages upon which the consumers behaviour is developed. Figure 6illustratesmain steps involved in consumer decision process. Figure 6 Consumer decision process model Source: Adopted by an author fromhttp://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/buying_decision_process.asp Predispositions (Before Purchase): This stage includes past experiences, customer own personality and self-concept, attitudes and opinions in general, as well as on specific products. Product Need: Buyuko et al. (2004) stated that buyer recognises a need which can be satisfied by a product or service, as a result of either cognitive activity or some environmental stimulus. It can be simplified that the need is often caused by internal or external stimuli. Information Search: The search may arise on an internal and external basis (Goh, 1999). According to Donald (1974) this stage includes all searches of the internal and external environments for the alternative solutions as well as for information which can help in evaluating of those alternatives. The search for the information usually includes previous experiences and should be relevant to the present purchase situation. Evaluation of Alternatives: This stage involves comparison of alternatives from physical and cognitive activities. Consumers compare various brands by taking in consideration several attributes (Kotler, 2000). Attributes used for the evaluation of alternatives by consumers are also known as choice criteria. Figure 7shows a summary of these choice criteria. Additionally, differentiation and number of alternatives, time pressure as well as level of involvement will reflect the extent of problem solving. As shown in Figure 8the extent to which customer involved in decision making process influence each stage of customer decision making process. Figure7Choice criteria used for the evaluation of alternatives by consumers Source: Adopted by an author from Bellman, S., Johnson, E. J., Lohse, G. L., Mandel, N. (2006).   Figure 8 Purchase Involvement and Stages of consumer decision making process Source: http://www.slideshare.net/roymogg/marketing-focus-on-the-customer-presentation Purchase Activity: This stage consist of customer involvement in making an actual financial decision as well as direct physical activities involved in decision making process about making purchase or not. Also this stage includes the actual transaction. However, customer decision can be postponed, modified, or avoided due to influence of perceived risk involved in purchase decision (Kotler,2000). Therefore, it is essential for marketers to recognize and understand factors that might provoke perceived risk and find out solutions to minimize that (Bellman et al., 2006). Post Purchase Behaviour: According to Kotler (2000) the current stage primarily concerned with product or service purchased by the customer. This level requires customers experience of satisfaction or dissatisfaction about purchased product or service, which further will influence subsequent behaviour of consumer. According to Fox all et al (1998) satisfaction or dissatisfaction created by product or service will make major impact on future purchase decisions. Predispositions (After Purchase and Use): After the process of purchasing the buyer (or non- buyer) should be left with cognitive content (Gunasekaran et al., 2004), which can be differ from that which present at the early stages. Consumers attitude, information and experience may be changed due to factors of time and events (Hawkins, 1989). All of the above can influence the future purchase decision of the same type. 2.4.3. Consumer behaviour in Online Environment When consumers shop online, they perform a similar sequence of tasks to offline shoppers (Mowen et al., 2003). Besides, online environment provides more information regarding each alternatives, also online environment is more flexible and time saving. Internet has significant impact on each stage of traditional decision making process. Final customer decision depends on several factors, which are illustrated in Figure 9. Figure 9 Main factors that influence customer purchasing decision Source: Adopted by an author from Buyuko Zumi; Kan, Gulcin (2004) Figure 9 presented factors, which lead to the decision process, which is described below. Problem recognition: Feeling the need or recognize the problem is the starting point. The Internet can generate the need or problem by itself and also can encourage customers to start the information search process (Breitenbach and van Doren, 1998). Information Search: Internet is one of the powerful sources of information, it has great advantages to store and process the information (Buyuko Zumi, 2004), and due to the above Internet has a deep impact on the Information Search stage. According to Wareham (2000) Internet provides wide access to information base for the consumers. Comparing to the traditional environment Web is less costly and require less time for information search (Turban  et al., 2002). One of the important differences between online and offline environment is the costs for the characteristics and attributes for which information can be obtained, are usually lower in online atmosphere (Kanttila, 2005). Still, the Internet has far less impact for the products that are perceived as low risk and that are bought frequently (Mutz, 2005). Additionally, the Internet is much less effective for value expressive products than for functional products, which attributes can be easily compared online (Rayport et al., 2003). Product Evaluation: This stage requires customers to make final value judgment through evaluating different information. The main benefit of online shops is their ability to store large amount of content at a relatively low cost (Rotem-Mindali et al., 2006). Thus, this can be turned to advantage when customers evaluating the product. On another hand, Internet provides lack of tangibility, which leads to difficulties in evaluating products. Purchase Activity: Current stage involves issues regarding transactions, which include the following steps: Agree contractually on purchase Pay for the purchase Wait for the delivery Receive physical delivery This stage can be influenced by different consumer-related factors, such as price, trustworthiness, availability or diversity of choices. According to Jobber (2001) this stage is also influenced by customer involvement, which is shown in Figure 6. Thus, customer will carry out very extensive evaluation when the purchase is very involving. On the contrary, purchases with low involvement will lead to simple evaluation and quick decision making (Schiffman, 2004). Post Purchase Activities: This stage is concerned with the satisfaction or dissatisfaction after purchase is made (Solomon et al., 2002). Internet provides good potential for customer satisfaction, as well as help to retain them. Web site can provide free customer support services, which will encourage repeat visits. Additionally, value-added services or feedback can be provided to the customers in order to retain existing customers and attract new (Siyal et al., 2006). 2.5. Benefits of the online shopping As discussed previously, there are a lot of factors that affect consumers purchasing process. Those factors reflect both, advantages as well as disadvantages of Internet as a shopping medium. The advantages or benefits of online shopping considered by customers described as the followings. 2.5.1 Convenience The customers expect online shopping to be easier and more convenient than as compare to traditional (Shun, 2006). Convenience is appearing very obvious at the stage of information search. According to Kotler (2003) The Internet is an almost perfect market due to the fact that information provided immediately and buyers can make a comparison of offers globally. As a result, consumers require minimal effort and time in order to compare and contrast competitive products. 2.5.2. Time saving According to Rayport et al. (2003) those who buy clothing on Web most often appreciate time saving. The process of locating merchants, finding items and procure offerings is easier in online environment (Maruca, 1999), which means online shopping can economize on time. Consumers do not require leaving their houses and spent time for travelling in order to make merchandise. Additionally, online environment allows browsing for needed items by size, category or price. Browsing and time benefits of online shopping represent the positive perception of e-satisfaction (Lichtenthal, 2004). 2.5.3. Product related benefits Comparing with a conventional retailer, e-retailer is able to offer a more wider range of products, because e-retailer do not have physical restrictions in terms of the amount and cost of floor space which is needed to display goods (Kanttila, 2005). Furthermore, it is less costly and easier for e-retailer to form alliances with other supplier, which brings more extensive inventories. 2.5.4. Lower price Internet enhances customer knowledge about pricing. In online environment customers are able to visit sites of competitors and compare the prices; moreover intermediaries provide price comparisons, which make process of evaluation more convenient and time saving (Gunasekaran et al., 2004). This transparency of price increases the competition between e-retailers and drives the price down. Furthermore the cost for performing online business is lower than for offline (e.g. minimal staffing cost, no retail space costs), this also lead to lower prices (Brown et al., 2003). However, some researches show those consumers are ready to pay for the online products same as for offline in exchange for the convenience (Rayport et al., 2003). 2.6. Perceived risks of online shopping Perceived risk can be defined as the uncertainty which arise when customer cannot predict the consequences of purchase decision (Farley et al., 1973). The level of risk can vary depending on individuals, personality, situation and product. However, perceived risk can be reduced to some acceptable level in any purchase situation. 2.6.1. Risk of privacy Privacy may mean diverse things to different people. Generally privacy refers to a moral right of individuals to avoid interruption interruptions into their personal life and affairs by third parties (Rotem-Mindali et al., 2006). Privacy is the main factor which stops many consumers from online shopping. Most of the time individuals get afraid that their private information can be sold, used, shared or discovered in an incorrect manner. According to Kanttila (2005)  fears and concerns of online purchasing reduce online purchasing decisions. 2.6.2. Security risk Security risks are often related to privacy issues. Security, especially online payment security is one of the main concerns for the consumers in e-shopping (Shun, 2006). Even the Internet and advanced technology improving fast, there are still high proportion of online users who are very cautious about making online purchase due to the concerns over credit and debit card security. Majority of customers have concerns whether the company is legal and private information will be not distributed to third parties, due to high percentage of hackers operating online (Siyal et al., 2006). 2.6.3. Lack of inspection before purchase Absence of direct sensory cues is another perceived risk, which is often mentioned both by marketers and customers. According to Schiffman Kanuk (2004 the fact that consumers are unable to touch products offered online is considered as significant drawback. This fact leads to more uncertainties regarding online shopping, because consumers have doubts about quality of the purchased product. This is also the reason why a lot of products which require high involvement are seldom purchased online (Rayport et al., 2003). 2.6.4. Risk of delivery Another drawback of online purchase is time between the purchase was made and time it received. When purchasing online, consumers cannot obtain the purchased product directly after transaction (Mutz, 2005). After the transaction was made the product will reach customer via home/office delivery sometime later. Therefore the reliability of delivery is another concerning issue. Additional problem which involved in delivery process is speed. One more issue to consider about home delivery is the presence of customer at home (Lichtenthal, 2004). Sometimes time of the delivery can be uncertain, and such situation can also lead to uncertainty. 2.6.5. Risk of returning Product returns are essential for the customers convenience and satisfaction. Majority of researches shows that the rate of online returns are low, however it is only due to the fact that customers find the process of returning is too complex (Constantinides, 2004). Such disgruntled customers are unlikely to continue online shopping in future (Case, 2002). Another issue in returning goods is that money usually are paid through credit or debit card, and here arise another problem of returning money back on the customer account, which depend not on e-company, but on the bank through which purchase was done. 2.7. Summary It is unarguable that the Internet has become an important part of peoples lives, enabling the fast growth of e-commerce. Currently, e-commerce is making improvements in customers satisfaction and tries to involve more people in online business environment (Chen Dubinsky, 2003). Consumer perception is the creator of customer performance, at the same time customer actions are the output of consumer perception (Citrin et al., 2000). It is useful to understand factors which influence buyers perception and purchasing behaviour. The adaptation of Internet creates a great impact on purchasing behaviour by providing more information, facilitating evaluation and decision making, and after-sales feedback. Additionally, online shopping includes different benefits and risks related to factors influencing consumer purchasing behaviour. The main benefits of online shopping are: Convenience Time saving Great product choice Product customization Lower prices The most common perceived risks of online shopping are: Privacy risks Security risks Lack of inspection Delivery issues Inconvenience of returning References Anonymous (2009) Asia Internet Usage and population [online] Available at http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm#asia [accessed 4 July 2010] Anonymous (NY) Buyer Behaviour decision-making process[online] Available at http://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/buying_decision_process.asp [accessed 4 July 2010] Anonymous (2009) Focus on customers to increase sales marketing tips[online] Available at http://www.slideshare.net/roymogg/marketing-focus-on-the-customer-presentation [accessed 3 July 2010] Ajzen, Icek Fishbein, Martin (1980) Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior. Prentice Hall; Facsimile edition, pp. 63-245 Andreasen, A. (1997).  Prescriptions for Theory-Driven Social Marketing Research: A Response to Goldbergs Alarms.  Journal of Consumer Psychology, 6(2), 189-196. Bag, M. (2009). Some models of consumer Behaviour [online] Available at http://vlrcmbag.blogspot.com/2009/03/some-models-of-consumer-behaviour.html [accessed 4 July 2010] Bellman, S., Johnson, E. J., Lohse, G. L., Mandel, N. (2006).  Designing Marketplaces of the Artificial With Consumers in Mind: Four Approaches to Understanding Consumer Behavior in Electronic Environments.  Journal of Interactive Marketing, 20, 21-33. Blackwell, R.D., Miniard, P.W. Engel, J.F. (2000) Consumer Behaviour, USA New York: Fort Worth, Har- court College  Publishers Breitenbach Craig S., Van Doren Doris C., (1998) Value-added marketing in the digital domain: enhancing the utility of the Internet, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 15 Iss: 6, pp.558 575 Brown, M., Pope, N., Voges, K., (2003). Buying or browsing? An exploration on shopping orientations and online purchase intention. European Jornal of Marketing, 37 (11/12), pp. 1666-1684 Buyuko Zumi; Kan, Gulcin (2004); Multi-criteria decision making for e-market place selection Internet Research; 2004, Vol. 14, Issue 2 Carla, Ruiz, Mafe, Carlos, Lassala, Navsrre (2006). Segmenting consumers by E-shopping Behaviour and online purchase. [online] Available at http://jib.debii.curtin.edu.au/iss03_mafe.pdf [accessed 4 July 2010] Case, Anne-Sophie (2002), Perceived Risk and Risk-Reduction Strategies in Internet Shopping  International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research. 12 (4), 375-394. Chen Z. Dubinsky A. J. (2003) A Conseptual Model of Perceived Customer Value in E-Commerce: A Preliminary Investigation,  Psychology Marketing, Vol. 20, No. 4, 323-347. Chuan-Fong Shih; Dedrick, Jason; Kraemer, Kenneth L. (2005). Rule of Law and the International Diffusion of e-Commerce Communications of the ACM Nov 2005, Vol. 48, Issue 11 Citrin, A.V., Sprott, D.E., Silverman S. N., and Stem, D.E, Jr. (2000), Adoption of internet Shopping: The Role of Consumer Innovativeness,  Industrial Management Data System, 10017, 294-300. Constantinides, Efthymios (2004), Influencing the online consumers behavior Web experience, vol.14 No 2, pp. 111- 126 Demangeot C., Broderick A. J.,(2007) Conceptualising consumer behavior in online shopping environments,  International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 35, No. 11, 878-894. Donald R. Lehmann, Terrance V. OBrien, John U. Farley and John A. Howard, (1974) Some Empirical Contributions to Buyer Behavior Theory,  Journal of Consumer Research, 1, 43-55. Dr Wee Keng Neo, Lynda (2009) Cyberbuying in China, Hong Kong Singapore: Tracking the profile of on-line buyers [online] Available at http://www.singstat.gov.sg/statsres/conferences/ecommerce/r308.pdff [accessed 4 July 2010] Eastlick M.A., Lotz S.,(1999) Profiling Potential Adopters and Non-adopters of an Interactive Electronic Shopping Medium,  International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 27, 6, 209-223. Eastlick, M.A., Lotz, S.L. and Warrington, P., (2006) Understanding online B-to-C Relationship: An Integrated Model of Privacy Concerns, Trust, and Commitment,Journal of

Freud Essay -- essays research papers fc

In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels present their view of human nature and the effect that the economic system and economic factors have on it. Marx and Engels discuss human nature in the context of the economic factors which they see as driving history. Freud, in Civilization and Its Discontents, explores human nature through his psychological view of the human mind. Marx states that history "...is the history of class struggles" (9). Marx views history as being determined by economics, which for him is the source of class differences. History is described in The Communist Manifesto as a series of conflicts between oppressing classes and oppressed classes. According to this view of history, massive changes occur in a society when new technological capabilities allow a portion of the oppressed class to destroy the power of the oppressing class. Marx briefly traces the development of this through different periods, mentioning some of the various oppressed and oppressing classes, but points out that in earlier societies there were many gradations of social classes. He also states that this class conflict sometimes leads to "...the common ruin of the contending classes" (Marx 9). Marx sees the modern age as being distinguished from earlier periods by the simplification and intensification of the class conflict. He states that "Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps... bourgeoisie and proletariat" (Marx 9). The bourgeoisie, as the dominant class of capitalists, subjugates the proletariat by using it as an object for the expansion of capital. As capitalism progresses, this subjugation reduces a larger portion of the population to the proletariat and society becomes more polarized. According to Marx, the polarization of society and the intense oppression of the proletariat will eventually lead to a revolution by the proletariat, in which the control of the bourgeoisie will be destroyed. The proletariat will then gain control of the means of production. This revolution will result in the creation of a socialist state, which the proletariat will use to institute socialist reforms and eventually communism. The reforms which Marx ou... ...t; (Freud 111). Freud can not offer some vision of a human utopia, but can only suggest that there is some possibility for the improvement of the human condition and society, but also warns that our success at overcoming destructive instincts may be limited. Marx offers a radical philosophy which also sees conflict as one of the constants of prior human existence. Unlike Freud, Marx believes that the aggressive and conflict-oriented aspects of human nature will disappear under the communist society which he sees as the inevitable product of capitalism. This is the hopeful element of Marx's philosophy. However, if communism is not seen as inevitable or the possibilities for reducing human conflict before a socialist revolution are considered, then Marx's view of human nature locks humanity into constant conflict. If the future is to be like Marx's version of history, then there is little hopefulness in this view of human nature. Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. Ed. James Strachey. New York: W.W. Norton, 1961. Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels. The Communist Manifesto. New York: International Publishers, 1994.

An Argument for Civil Disobedience

An Argument for Civil Disobedience Are acts of civil disobedience ever appropriate? According to American history, acts of disobedience in the face of tyranny are not only appropriate but expected. The very fabric of this nation was shaped by acts of civil disobedience and rebellion. Human morality is not always defined by governmental regulations and when those regulations are in direct defiance of morality, it is the people’s obligation to stand with their beliefs and change the government.The United States of America as we know it was created by acts of disobedience. Thoreau states â€Å"the character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished†. Our own founding fathers embodied the principles of disobedience by rebelling against the tyranny of England by writing the Declaration of Independence because their morality conflicted with English governmental policies. Even colonists, refusing to be over taxed on imports, were responsible for t he Boston Tea Party.The freedom we enjoy today was the direct result of disobedience. The government created by our founding fathers was not immune to its own conflict with moral conscience leading to disobedience and rebellion. For example, the civil rights movement of the 1960’s was fueled by acts of civil disobedience. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, her passive defiance personified civil disobedience. In the minds of civil rights leaders, the Jim Crow laws which defined segregation were inappropriate. They believed skin color did not define human worth.Civil rights activists actively defied the government, changing policies, and earning equal rights for all races. Our current presidential administration is not immune to defiance. In the passage â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, Thoreau summarizes that elected officials can pervert the concepts of government and its power to satisfy personal agendas. The Obama administration and its efforts toward gun control have spurred a new generation of disobedient citizens across the nation. Ordinarily law abiding citizens are purchasing guns and ammunition at an alarming rate and are daring the government to take them away.Americans even use social media, such as Facebook, to challenge the disarming of its citizens. Law enforcement officials are writing statements vowing to disallow federal officials to confiscate the guns our president is trying to ban. If our past dictates our future, the people will prevail and President Obama will fail. The spirit of the American people is by definition, disobedient. Our conscience refuses to allow government to abuse its citizens physically, mentally, or financially. â€Å"The government is best which governs not at all. † -Henry David Thoreau

ART IS essays

ART IS essays Privatisation takes on a number of meanings including the full or partial sale of public sector corporations, the sale of government owned assets, the opening of certain markets to private sector competition and government/private sector joint ventures in infrastructure projects. The term Government Business Enterprise (GBE) describes a statutory body, corporation, government owned company, and is an important representation of the public sector when discussing the privatisation issue. In recent years, there has been a privatisation boom, particularly in countries facing fiscal difficulties. Australia is no exception with a large amount of privatisation occurring in a number of industries including telecommunications, transport, utilities and alike. Although the revenue generated by privatisation is a dominant factor behind the push for privatisation, other issues such as public enterprise efficiency, capital expenditure priorities and union curbing can also have a great influence. There is a large amount of support for the view that private enterprises under a system of rules and laws will maximise efficiency in delivery of infrastructure and associated services for the community (BIE 1992 p42). However, the efficiency of the public sector is often hindered by a number of factors including; the lack of clear methods of measuring performance, the assignment of multiple goals which often conflict, lack of incentives to minimise costs, lack of managerial accountability, and vulnerability to political interference. The presence of important political and social functions makes the conventional assessment of public enterprise performance a difficult task. Performance indicators are necessary in order for businesses to produce gains in productive efficiency and improvements in responsiveness to the community's needs. Problem's in performance monitoring arise since Government Business Enterprises are not subject to take-overs or the ri...

Abraham Lincolns Historical Thanksgiving Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln's Historical Thanksgiving Proclamation Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday in the United States until the fall of 1863  when President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring that the last Thursday in November would be a day of national thanksgiving. While Lincoln issued the proclamation, credit for making Thanksgiving a national holiday should go to Sarah Josepha  Hale, the editor of Godeys Ladys Book, a popular magazine for women in 19th century America. Hales Campaign for Thanksgiving Hale, who campaigned for years to make Thanksgiving a nationally observed holiday, wrote to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, and urged him to issue a proclamation. Hale mentioned in her letter that having such a national day of Thanksgiving would establish a great Union Festival of America. With the United States in the depths of the Civil War, perhaps Lincoln was attracted to the idea of a holiday unifying the nation. At that time Lincoln was also contemplating delivering an address on the purpose of the war which would become the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln wrote a proclamation, which was issued on October 3, 1863. The New York Times published a copy of the proclamation two days later. The idea seemed to catch on, and the northern states celebrated Thanksgiving on the date noted in Lincolns proclamation, the last Thursday in November, which fell on November 26, 1863. Lincolns Thanksgiving Proclamation The text of Lincolns 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation follows: October 3, 1863By the President of the United StatesA ProclamationThe year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of pe aceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United Stated States to be affixed.Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.Abraham Lincoln

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 39

Marketing - Essay Example The business plan and functional policies are designed accordingly. If any point is overlooked during the planning phase, the expected performance cannot be guaranteed. In order to overcome the risks, the key point is inclusion of all stakeholders in the relevant phases of planning and decision making. It is because; no human being can be expert in all aspects. Involvement of people belonging to various fields adds value to the decision making process and various other aspects are highlighted which can not be thought over by a small team. Another important point in overcoming the risk is to allocate considerable time to the phase of planning. A common mistake is to do planning in a hurry and then waste much time in making corrective actions. The suitable approach is to plan well and plan ahead. This is the reason of success of Japanese industrialists which must be followed by all entrepreneurs who want to make a success

Global supply chain analysis of P&G in the UK Essay

Global supply chain analysis of P&G in the UK - Essay Example This has been one of the fundamental mantras behind the company’s endeavour to implement the model ‘consumer is boss.’ The most circulated brand manufactured by P&G includes Pampers, Gillette, Tide, Ariel, Pantene and Head and Shoulders (P&G, 2011a). P&G has enjoyed a considerable amount of success through its extensive reach all over the world. However, the one country that stands ahead in this race is the United Kingdom. P&G’s business expansion in the UK has proven to be one of the most profitable decisions made by the management. The company has successfully established a strong supply chain network in this part of the world which has made raw materials delivery, distribution and processing very convenient for the company (Fawcett, Jones and Fawcett, 2012). The effective supply chain management strategies employed by the management has made it possible for them to reach out to the customers easily. It is with regards to this fact that the researcher has attempted to conduct a thorough analysis of the supply chain network of P&G in the UK. The study will also include an in-depth explanation of the company’s endeavours to establish a green supply chain process that is aimed towards improving environmental conditi ons. P&G, UK’s supply chain has always been a very integral part of their business. The management responsible for handling operations in the UK always believes in keeping its supply chain networks absolutely shopper centric just like every other part of their business. Serving the needs of the customers has always been amongst the top priorities of the management and they have always emphasized on establishing end to end collaboration with their retail partners in order to achieve this objective (P&G, 2011a). P&G UK has been largely successful in transforming its supply chain network through the application of agent based model. Following the transformation