How Social Media Influences Your Shopping Essay Example for Free

How Social Media Influences Your Shopping Essay At the present time social media is the one of the most powerful ways to shop and advertise online via the use of web-based and mobile technologies; it transforms online communication into an interactive dialogue. Quester, Pettigrew and Hawkins (2011) defined social media as â€Å"media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable communication techniques.† According to Vithoulkas, social media is more than just the hardware or software which enables it, instead he argues that it is more of a philosophy of communication where honest and transparency is required and information is shared and has the potential to â€Å"spread virally very quickly†. For the consumer, social media can be a continual bombardment of advertising and promotion every time we use communication modes, such as the internet or mobile, which may be infuriating for the consumer but increases the market exposure for the seller. This report intends to analyse the effectiveness of social media in influencing the general population to purchase more than presently before. When large companies, such as Pepsi, invest 50% of their annual advertising budget into Social Media it is obviously a worthy idea for the discussion of marketing professionals worldwide. The buyer behaviour system has been challenged in ranges of high involvement and low involvement alike. Consumer control is now the focus of consumption, when before it was heavily regulated institutionally. Although social media is an inescapable part of every day life it cannot be assumed that it will replace other forms of communication. A great number of people of all ages use social networking sites before purchasing a product, especially in high involvement purchases. Seidma (2010, p11) has demonstrated that the large majority of people are engaged in some form of social media, showing its considerable societal acceptance; Marketing magazine online tells us that â€Å"Facebook has more than 400 million active users. Every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. An estimated 5–10 thousand Twitter accounts are opened per day,† showing that when information is directly found by a population 20 times that of Australia there is serious product awareness to gain . Quester et al. (2011) stated that there are fives stages of decisions making processes prior to making the choice in buying a product or service. These include problem recognition, information search, evaluation and selection, store choice and purchase and post purchase processes. When consumers’ recognise a need or identify a problem which may exist, they then undertake an information search on the product or service with their behaviour influenced by internal and external factors, Consumers evaluate the various alternatives after they have gathered all information, and afterwards they make a selection of retail outlets for the actual purchase of the good or service. Lastly, the consumer compares the product performance against their expectations and decide whether they satisfied or dissatisfied with it. In last few decades, traditional media such as television, radio, newspaper has been the only way to promote and communicate with the target market, but now it appears that the trend has changed. As seen in diagram one (below) consumer control is now the driver in the marketing segment. As seen in chart one (below), it can be seen that on average people spend more time when choosing and product and general spend more money, suggesting that when purchasing online the products will be a high involvement purchase. Marketing Magazine online tell us â€Å"For 35% of shoppers, the process starts with online search; 30% of consumers read user reviews on retailer websites as a part of the shopping process.† In the U.S.A. alone there are 95 million people who admit to frequently using social-media in their purchase decisions. Hub Magazine found that more than 40% of American adults currently use social media as part of their shopping experiences, with further data showing most consumers increased in use of social media for shopping within an annual period. Hub magazine also found that 39% have strongly agreed with the statement that ‘they can learn a lot more about a brand by seeing what everyday people are saying about it online’ in comparison with only 22% percent of non-social media shoppers agreeing with the statement. This clealy shows us that Social Media can obviously affect buying habits. However, social media may not be the first choice for every business or organisation for their marketing strategy. In December 2009, COM Score released a report of their customer survey that showed peoples views on social media in comparison to traditional forms of media. Overall, they found that 28% of respondents were likely to notice advertising on social media and less than that 23% are likely to trust the advertisements they notice. Those numbers put social media websites at #5 on the list behind television, print, news and corporate websites. In the same findings it also showed that only 28% of those who had began their holiday shopping this season indicated that social media has influenced their purchases specifically consumers said their influences were: †¢ Reading a consumer-generated product review (13% of respondents) †¢ Reading an expert product review (11 %)  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Following a fan page on Face book to take advantage of special offers and deals (7%) †¢ Influence by a friend’s Face book status update referring to a particular product (6%) †¢ Following a company on Twitter to take advantage of special offers and deals (5%) †¢ A friend’s â€Å"tweet† about a product influenced their purchase behaviour (3%) Given the exposure to the internet that we in the western world undergo every day versus time spend watching television, it is odd that only 13% saw the high consumer involvement in reading reviews of products. What is even stranger is that these consumers have shifted from trusting expert reviews to peer reviews. In traditional media reputable sources were usually quoted to give weight to a certain product. It seems in the days of social media, peer influence has replaced the trustworthiness of reputable sources. Thus changing the buyer behaviour process. Social Media may influence and change the buyer behaviour process but it is not necessarily a replacement for tradition media. Although it is a change to the normal standards of media, it will never replace traditional media given the system of interaction in our society. The interesting thing, as discussed in this essay, is the change in the high involvement purchase process and the consumer control over purchases. It is effective to some degree, given the right target audience and consumer group, but in our society with the lack of general literacy (21.1% of the world are internet literate) and dramatic choices for consumers it is not the answer to the change of the consumer buyer process.

Development of Regulatory Mechanism

Development of Regulatory Mechanism Critical Analysis of Role of IRDA (Regulator) In the Last Decade In Respect of  General Insurance Companies In India, insurance has a very deep-rooted history. Insurance in India has evolved over time heavily drawing from other countries, England in particular. The history of general insurance dates back to the Industrial Revolution in the west and the consequent growth of sea-faring trade and commerce in the 17th century. It came to India as a legacy of British occupation. General Insurance in India has its roots in the establishment of Triton Insurance Company Ltd., in the year 1850 in Kolkata by the British. In 1907, the Indian Mercantile Insurance Ltd., was set up. This was the first company to transact all classes of general insurance business. In 1968, the Insurance Act was amended to regulate investments and set up minimum solvency margins. The Tariff Advisory Committee was also set up then. In 1972, with the passing of the General Insurance Business (Nationalization) Act, general insurance business was nationalized with effect from 1st January, 1973. 107 insurers were grouped into four companies, namely National Insurance Company Ltd., the New India Assurance Company Ltd., the Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. and the United India Insurance Company Ltd. The General Insurance Corporation of India was incorporated as a company in 1971 and it commence business on 1st January, 1973. Evolution of IRDA In 1993, the Government set up a committee under the chairmanship of RN Malhotra, the former Governor of RBI, to propose recommendations for reforms in the insurance sector. The objective was to complement the reforms initiated in the financial sector. The committee submitted its report in 1994 wherein, among other things, it recommended that the private sector be permitted to enter the insurance industry. They stated that foreign companies should be allowed to enter by floating Indian companies, preferably a joint venture with Indian partners. Following the recommendations of the Malhotra committee report, in 1999, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) was constituted as an autonomous body to regulate and develop the insurance industry. The IRDA was incorporated as a statutory body in April, 2000. The key objective of IRDA includes promotion of competition so as to enhance customer satisfaction through increased consumer choice and lower premiums, while ensuring the financial security of the insurance market. The IRDA opened up the market in August 2000 with the invitation for application for registrations. Foreign companies were allowed ownership of up to 26%. The Authority has the power to frame regulations under Section 114A of the Insurance Act, 1938 and has from the year 2000 onwards framed various regulations ranging from registration of companies for carrying on insurance business to protection of policyholders interests. In December, 2000, the subsidiaries of the General Insurance Corporation of India were restructured as independent companies and at the same time GIC was converted into a national re-insurer. Parliament passed a bill de-linking the four subsidiaries from GIC in July, 2002. Today there are 24 general insurance companies including the ECGC and Agriculture Insurance Corporation of India. IRDA plays a vital role in shaping the growth of the insurance industry as a whole. Ever since IRDA came into existence and started regulating the insurance industry, there were many changes which were brought in the insurance industry which immensely helped the customers in choosing the right policies as well as helped the insurance companies in delivering the right policies to its customers as well as the insurance company. IRDA made a huge impact of its presence in the insurance industry since it started regulating the insurance industry firmly and stiffly as well as imposed many new regulations on the insurance companies to protect the policy holders interests and help the insurance companies grow and have a healthy competition among each other so that no insurance companies are declared bankrupt. Insurance companies were made to comply with all the regulations framed by IRDA and IRDA had full authority to penalize any insurance company for non-compliance of the guidelines of IRDA. IRDAs role in shaping the whole insurance industry has been a challenging job since its inception because the insurance companies enjoyed the freedom of non-regulation before IRDA came into existence. This is the reason why IRDA worked tiresomely in order to put everything in place and faced so many challenges for regulating the insurance industry as a whole. Mission Statement Of The Authority To protect the interest of and secure fair treatment to policyholders; To bring about speedy and orderly growth of the insurance industry (including annuity and superannuation payments), for the benefit of the common man, and to provide long term funds for accelerating growth of the economy; To set, promote, monitor and enforce high standards of integrity, financial soundness, fair dealing and competence of those it regulates; To ensure speedy settlement of genuine claims, to prevent insurance frauds and other malpractices and put in place effective grievance redressal machinery; To promote fairness, transparency and orderly conduct in financial markets dealing with insurance and build a reliable management information system to enforce high standards of financial soundness amongst market players; To take action where such standards are inadequate or ineffectively enforced; To bring about optimum amount of self-regulation in day-to-day working of the industry consistent with the requirements of prudential regulation. Composition of Authority As per section 4 of IRDA Act, 1999, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority specify the composition of Authority: The Authority is a ten member team consisting of: a Chairman; Five whole-time members; Four part-time members. (All the members are appointed by Govt. of India) Review of Literature Insurance Regulatory Development Authority IRDA since its inception has done a wonderful job in carrying out its duties, powers and functions without failing. The powers and functions of IRDA are such that it has the authority to issue to the applicant a certificate of registration, renew it, modify it, withdraw, suspend or cancel such registration. IRDA plays an important role in protecting the policy holders interests in matters concerning assigning of policy, nomination by policy holders, insurable interest, settlement of insurance claim and other terms and conditions of contracts of insurance. IRDA also specifies the requisite qualifications, code of conduct and practical training for intermediary or insurance intermediaries and agents. It clearly states the code of conduct for surveyors and loss assessors as well as promotes efficiency in the conduct of insurance business and regulates the professional organizations connected with the insurance and re-insurance business. IRDA always calls for information related to undertaking inspection, conducting enquiries and investigations including audit of the insurers, intermediaries, insurance intermediaries and other organizations connected with the insurance business. IRDA fully controls and regulates the rates, advantages, terms and conditions that are offered by the insurers in respect of general insurance business which were earlier not so controlled and regulated by the Tariff Advisory Committee. IRDA also specifies the form and manner in which books of account shall be maintained and statements of accounts shall be rendered by the insurers and other insurance intermediaries. Now to discuss some of the guidelines and regulations framed by the IRDA in respect of General Insurance Companies, IRDA issued some regulations relating to protection of policy holders interests which stated that an insurer or its agent or other intermediary shall provide all material information in respect of a proposed cover to the prospect to enable the prospect to decide on the best cover that would be in his or her interest. Where the prospect depends upon the advise of the insurer or its agent or and insurance intermediary, such a person must advise the prospect dispassionately. Except in case of marine insurance cover, whereby current market practices do not insist on a written proposal form, a proposal for grant of cover for general business must be evidenced by a written document. It is the duty of an insurer to furnish to the insured free of charge, within 30 days of the acceptance of a proposal, a copy of the proposal form. Every insurer should have proper procedures and effective mechanism in place in order to address complaints and grievances of policy holders efficiently with speed. An insured or the claimant should give notice to the insurer after any loss has occurred arising under the contract of insurance at the earliest and within specified time period which may be allowed by the insurer. On receipt of such a communication, the insurer has to respond immediately and give clear indication to the insured on the procedures that he or she should follow. In case a surveyor is appointed for assessing the loss, it shall be done within 72hours of the receipt of intimation from the insured. On receipt of the survey report, the insurer should offer a settlement of claim to the insured within a period of 30days. If the insurer for any reason decides to reject or repudiate the claim under the policy, it has to do so within a period of 30days from the receipt of the survey report. Non-Tariff Regime In the year 2005, General Insurance Companies and other stake holders in the insurance market voiced the demand for removal of tariff as the existence of tariff was considered contrary to free market principles and insurance products needed to be priced based on market forces. IRDA accordingly considered moving to a tariff free regime. IRDA stated that in a market free of tariffs, all the insurance companies should have in place internal capabilities, procedures and controls. It also stated that the functions of underwriting and rating of insurance business should be independent of the business development function and not be made subservient to the business development function. Employees with authority were to be trained to evaluate proposals, underwrite and rate the risks as per the guide tariff. Following the decision of the tariff advisory committee to de-tariff Marine Hull Insurance, IRDA issued certain guidelines in respect of Marin Hull Insurance. All the general insurers who had wish to underwrite marine hull business, should follow the exact existing policy wordings, terms and conditions including clauses such as the Institute clauses as it was before de-tariff regime. It was also indicated and stated that all the insurance companies who wanted to underwrite marine hull class of business should file separately with the IRDA regarding the reinsurance arrangements for protecting the net account exposures. Guidelines Pertaining to Corporate Agents Outsourcing of Activities All the non-life insurers were directed to lay down minimum business requirements for Individual agents. The said provision of minimum business requirements is extended to all Corporate Agents as well. Accordingly, all the non-life insurers were directed to lay down minimum business requirements for Corporate Agents and monitor the performance of Corporate Agents as often as it is required. Insurers in India increasingly used outsourcing, as a means of both reducing cost and accessing expertise, not available internally and in order to achieve strategic aims. IRDA in respect of outsourcing stated that, all applicants will carry on functions in respect of insurance business including management of investment, within its own organization. It was observed that certain insurers were even outsourcing the core activities such as investment, underwriting and policy servicing. IRDA said that it was not desirable to outsource the core and important activities which will immensely affect the corporate governance, protection of policy holders, solvency and revenue of flows of insurer. IRDA further stated that outsourcing arrangements should neither diminish its ability to fulfill its obligations to policy holders nor impede effective supervision by IRDA. Insurers therefore were to take steps to ensure that the service provider employs the same standards in performing the services as would be employed by them if the activities were conducted in house. Accordingly, Insurers were not to engage in outsourcing that would result in their internal control, business conduct or reputation being compromised or weakened. Therefore, IRDA does everything that they can in order to protect the policy holders interest as well as control the Insurance Industry as a whole for betterment. Need of the Study What is the purpose of IRDA in regulating the General Insurance Companies? How IRDA framed and implemented the policies. Role of IRDA. Objectives of the Study A comprehensive wide case analysis of the role of IRDA in the last decade in respect of General Insurance Industry will aid and help in understanding the details regarding the benefits of the guidelines bestowed upon on the General Insurance Companies by the IRDA as well as to know the problems faced by General Insurance Companies in complying with IRDA regulations. Rationale of the topic Insurance industry in India has come a long way since the time when businesses were tightly regulated and concentrated in the hands of a few public sector insurers. Following the passage of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act in 1999, India abandoned public sector exclusivity in the insurance industry in favour of market-driven competition. This shift has brought about major changes to the industry. This topic will help in identifying the role of IRDA and its impact on the General Insurance Industry since its inception. IRDA plays a vital role in shaping the growth of the insurance industry as whole due to which it is very important to understand how IRDA framed and implemented the policies in order to protect the policy holders and bring transparency in the insurance market. This is the reason why it is very important to critically analyze the role of IRDA since its inception and find out whether the general insurance companies have strictly adhered to the rules framed by IRDA and followed it without any problems faced. Research Methodology Research method: Descriptive Research Sampling tool: Questionnaire Data collected: primary Statistical tool used: Microsoft excel Data collection methods Primary data: the primary data will be collected by means of a survey. Questionnaire will be prepared and the General Insurance companies will be approached to fill up the questionnaire. The filled up information will later be analyzed to obtain the required information. Hypothesis Null: H0: Guidelines framed by the regulator are useful. Alternative: H1: Guidelines framed by the regulator is not useful. Null: H0: IRDA treats all the insurance companies both Public and Private, equally and fairly. Alternative: H1: IRDA doesnt treat all the insurance companies both Public and Private, equally and fairly. Data Analysis Interpretation Q1. Insurance Regulations includes all the objective of insurance business. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 According to the survey collected from 10 respondents one each from 10 general insurance companies, it was found that the regulations framed by IRDA includes all the objective of insurance business. Q2. Regulator Examines the documents thoroughly before issuing a license to any new insurance company. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 As per the pie chart above, we can easily interpret that all the respondents agree on the fact that the regulator examines the documents thoroughly before issuing a license to any new insurance company. Q3. Insurance Companies are able to meet the capital requirement set by the regulator. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 The response on the capital requirement is that Insurance Companies are able to meet the capital requirement set by the regulator as responded by the survey respondents. Q4. True disclosure of the working of insurance company ensures the soundenss of the business of the insurance company. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 According to the respondents, all of them agree to the fact that true disclosure of the working of insurance company does always ensures the soundness of the business of the insurance company thus showing transparency in the workings of insurance companies. Q5. Regulator has a very important role in the selection of the management. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 2 20 2 Disagree 8 80 As the chart speaks for itself, we can clearly see that 80% of the respondents does not agree to the fact that regulator has a very important role in the selection of the management as opposed to 20% who agree to the statement. This shows that regulator is not so important when it comes to the selection of management. Q6. Guidelines framed by the regulator are useful Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 9 90 2 Disagree 1 10 According to the survey conducted, it shows that 90% of the respondents feel that guidelines framed by the regulator are useful whereas 10% feels it is not useful meaning that majority of the insurance companies feel that the guidelines are very useful for insurance companies to sustain and grow in the market. Q7. Filing a new product with regulator for approval is easy. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 1 10 2 Disagree 9 90 The survey on the filing of new conducted concluded with 90% denying the fact that filing a new product with the regulator for approval is easy meaning that they feel it is difficult to file a new product. Only 10% feels it is easy which is quite bad. Q8. Setting up of the customer grievance cell as the directives by the regulator helps in satisfying the policy holders and getting more business for the company. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 9 90 2 Disagree 1 10 90% respondents feel that setting up of the customer grievance cell as directed by the regulator helps in satisfying the policy holders and getting more business for the company where as 10% of the respondents doesnt support the statement. Q9. Establishment of the IRDA to regulate the insurance industry was a wise step taken by the government of India in order to protect the policy holders interest and insurance industry as a whole. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 The above pie chart shows that all the insurance companies that were surveyed feels that establishment of the IRDA to regulate the insurance industry was a wise step taken by the government of India in order to protect the policy holders interest and insurance industry as a whole. Q 10. IRDA treats all the insurance companies both public and private equally and fairly. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 All the 100% respondents agree to the fact that IRDA treats all the insurance companies both public and private equally and fairly. Q11. IRDA takes strict actions on insurance companies for non-compliance with the regulator. Code Response Frequency Precentage 1 Agree 10 100 2 Disagree 0 0 According to the pie chart, we can easily come to a conclusion that all the respondents from 10 general insurance companies accepts that IRDA is very strict and that it takes strict actions on insurance companies for non-compliance with the regulator. Findings Insurance Regulations does include all the objectives of insurance. IRDA always examines the documents thoroughly before issuing a license to any new insurance company. Regulator doesnt have much role in the selection of management according to the general insurance companies. Guidelines framed by the regulator are very useful for the insurance companies. Filing a new product with the regulator for approval is not at all easy. Establishment of the IRDA to regulate the insurance industry was a wise step taken by the government of India in order to protect the policy holders interest and insurance industry as a whole. IRDA treats all the insurance companies both public and private equally and fairly. IRDA takes strict actions on insurance companies for non-compliance with the regulator. Suggestions Since regulator doesnt have important role in the selection of the management, I think the regulators should take part in the selection of the management so that there is a fair and transparent management. Since filing of a new product for approval from the regulator is not so easy, IRDA should take into account such problems and issues so that various types of products are available immediately in the market which would help the customer choose the best suited product. IRDA can try to increase their man power and examine the new products filed thoroughly in a quick moment. Although guidelines framed by the regulator are useful, few insurance companies feel it is not due to which IRDA should also take the consent of the insurance companies for sharing their ideas on the guidelines, then note it down and if the regulator feels it is valid, then adapt that guideline. Conclusion The study of the topic Critical Analysis of the Role of Regulator (IRDA) in the Last Decade in Respect of General Insurance Companies it was found that regulator plays a very vital role in protecting the policy holders interests as well as growing and shaping the insurance industry as a whole. It was also found out that establishment of IRDA to regulate the insurance industry was a wise step taken by the Government of India as well as the most important factor for IRDA to be a very prominent and successful regulator is due to the hard work and wise firm decisions and steps taken by the Government as well as the Management of the regulator. The study also found out that there was not much gaps and flaws in the functioning of the regulator since the regulator has properly framed the guidelines taking into account the customers protection and the Insurance Industrys protection as a whole. The general insurance companies are all satisfied with decisions taken by IRDA and do appreciate the presence of IRDA. So finally, it is concluded that IRDA as a regulator does play a very important role in shaping the whole insurance industry and that IRDA should maintain the same henceforth so that even the new insurance companies would also stick to the norms and proper procedures. Sonam Tobgay

Essay --

Chis passed away 3 days later at the age of 41. Chris died naturally, and that was the way he wanted it. Today, people have options in death. Physician assisted suicide is defined by Merriam Webster, as â€Å"suicide that is carried out with the help of a doctor† (Merriam Webster). It is usually carried out by a lethal dose of medication which makes you fall asleep and then stops your heart. The process usually takes about 30 minutes. It could look something like this, and you would drink it from a straw. Show the glass with the mixture and a straw. It takes about this much to kill a grown man. Physician Assisted Suicide is currently an option offered in four states and has been considered in forty six others. Today, I am here to talk about Physician Assisted Suicide, and how it should not be legal in any state. Most of us, especially at our age, don’t really don’t think too much about terminal illness and death, but a terminal illness could happen to anyone of us, or someone we love or care about. Physician assisted suicide is not legal in Minnesota, but it is legal in Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Montana. This is a hotly debated issued because there are such strong opinions on both sides. Those in favor of Physician Assisted believe that each person when faced with their own inevitable death, deserve the right to end their lives on their own terms without pain and suffering. Those that oppose any legislation to believe it violates the physicians fundamental Hippocratic oath which is to â€Å"Do No Harm,† and that it is a dangerous and slippery slope. Jane St. Clair who founded an organization called The Compassionate Choice, lost her mother, father, and sister to cancer. She wrote that Physician Assisted Suicide ... ...a life, the caregiver is able to offer medications, treatments, as well as a willingness to listen and provide support and guidance through a very difficult time. This can make the experience much easier for the patients and their families. Even though Physician Assisted Suicide is currently not being considered in Minnesota, there are ways we can support the efforts to not have this be legal in any state. Please consider becoming a part of the pursuit of ending Physician Assisted Suicide by joining the many established national disability organization that oppose assisted suicide. They include: The National Council on Independent Living, The National Spinal Crd Injury Association, The Disability Right Education and Defense Fund, and the National Council on Disability. By becoming involved you can help each state be free of Assisted Suicide. Thank you!

Teenage Marriage :: essays research papers

The rapid increase in the number of early marriages over the past several years coupled with the extremely high rate of divorce within this same group makes this subject extremely important. If you are a teenager and are seriously considering an early marriage, these are a number of potential problem areas of which you should be aware, so that, if you do decide that this is the best course of action, you will be alert to the possible difficulties which could lie ahead. First, the problem of adequate financial support is obvious. Although money does not buy happiness, it is true that a tight financial situation can create tensions which can undermine an otherwise happy relationship. While some financial problems are to be expected in almost any new marriage, it is important to take time to think sensibly, so that such problems will not destroy what could otherwise be a beautiful relationship, if not undertaken prematurely. This is not to suggest that you wait about marriage until every possible financial problem has been completely solved, but rather simply suggests that you do not close your eyes to the real situation whatever it may be. Talk with other young couples who have been married for several months to get a more realistic idea of the financial problems you are likely to face. It is unfortunate, but true, that what sounds like a lot of money to you now, may seem to be very little when monthly bills must be met. It is also a good idea to realize that if parents or in-laws are depended upon too heavily for financial support that this can provide the basis for other later family conflicts as well. Regardless of the good intentions involved, it is almost always true that the person who controls the money ultimately rules the situation. Although some newly married couples find it necessary to temporarily make their home with their parents, this is generally not a wise choice unless absolutely necessary and then only for as short a period of time as possible. (Genesis 2:24). The old proverb which states that "no house is large enough for two women" can also apply to other members of the family as well. Not only does this type of arrangement tend to produce family conflicts, but the lack of privacy also tends to make early sexual adjustments much more difficult, thereby producing an atmosphere which can lead to far more serious problems in later years.

Recommendations To Make The Organization More Competitive :: Business Analysis

The more competitive corporations are in markets, the less the strategies are available to any corporation. All corporations become reactive rather than proactive, unable to impose their will on the market. They cannot control price, they cannot differentiate their product. Competition denies them the resources to acquire other enterprises. In reality cost positions differ, often significantly, and products are perceived to be different, sometimes so different that some are branded. This generates both the scope and resources needed for acquisitions, aggressive price behavior or a major marketing campaign. The specific recommendations the Board is seeking are how: A. to make the organization more competitive: The main outcome of having a competitive strategy advantage is clear. Such an advantage translates into the positive outcomes of a profits earned by our corporation with above average for the industry, instead of a loss less than that earned by others. It does not necessarily mean an above-normal profit since this depends on the nature of our industry. It is easy to recognize when competitive advantage exists, when an our corporation, is competing with another corporation, for the same customers in the same market, is able to earn either a realized, or potential, profit which is higher than that of competitors, or a loss which is smaller. Provided the accounting is accurate, it is not difficult to identify the corporation with a competitive advantage. The result of a better financial performance is made possible by the key characteristic of any competitive advantage, the greater utility or value given to the customer by an enterprise. Customers buy our service either in greater numbe rs or at a higher price because of this greater advantage. Competitive advantage is then the ability to better satisfy our customers than competitors could. The causes of the existence of such an advantage reflect the combined ability to recognize opportunity and therefore position the corporation accordingly, and produce what is wanted at a cost and therefore a price which is acceptable. Both these abilities are the result of the appropriate application of the core competencies possessed by the corporation. B. to provide high quality customer services: The corporation realization of entrepreneurial goals requires, for its success, adequate, even high-quality management inputs. Many of these management inputs involve specialist knowledge of functional areas. The proportion of entrepreneurs and managers required within an enterprise, or indeed the desirable blend of these characteristics within the same individuals, can vary markedly. Recommendations To Make The Organization More Competitive :: Business Analysis The more competitive corporations are in markets, the less the strategies are available to any corporation. All corporations become reactive rather than proactive, unable to impose their will on the market. They cannot control price, they cannot differentiate their product. Competition denies them the resources to acquire other enterprises. In reality cost positions differ, often significantly, and products are perceived to be different, sometimes so different that some are branded. This generates both the scope and resources needed for acquisitions, aggressive price behavior or a major marketing campaign. The specific recommendations the Board is seeking are how: A. to make the organization more competitive: The main outcome of having a competitive strategy advantage is clear. Such an advantage translates into the positive outcomes of a profits earned by our corporation with above average for the industry, instead of a loss less than that earned by others. It does not necessarily mean an above-normal profit since this depends on the nature of our industry. It is easy to recognize when competitive advantage exists, when an our corporation, is competing with another corporation, for the same customers in the same market, is able to earn either a realized, or potential, profit which is higher than that of competitors, or a loss which is smaller. Provided the accounting is accurate, it is not difficult to identify the corporation with a competitive advantage. The result of a better financial performance is made possible by the key characteristic of any competitive advantage, the greater utility or value given to the customer by an enterprise. Customers buy our service either in greater numbe rs or at a higher price because of this greater advantage. Competitive advantage is then the ability to better satisfy our customers than competitors could. The causes of the existence of such an advantage reflect the combined ability to recognize opportunity and therefore position the corporation accordingly, and produce what is wanted at a cost and therefore a price which is acceptable. Both these abilities are the result of the appropriate application of the core competencies possessed by the corporation. B. to provide high quality customer services: The corporation realization of entrepreneurial goals requires, for its success, adequate, even high-quality management inputs. Many of these management inputs involve specialist knowledge of functional areas. The proportion of entrepreneurs and managers required within an enterprise, or indeed the desirable blend of these characteristics within the same individuals, can vary markedly.

Critical study of how music uniquely expands our understanding of experience Essay

Music has long existed in our society as a form of culture, entertainment and the like. In fact every civilization known to exist had had a great deal of benefits from music. There are lots of people who see music as nothing more than plain entertainment however there are those who holds in the claim that music gives us something more than entertainment per se. There are claims that music could affect us in a number of ways. Music has considerable effects on one’s mind, body and emotions. Music that are abundant in beats in a way could fuel one’s body, music carried out with feelings could affect one’s emotional status and could either make one cry with misery or laugh with joy, classical music could stimulate the mind, and so on and so forth. There are people who are greatly aware of the effects music could wrought on a person and this could greatly be seen on our everyday experiences. Movies, films, news, see the importance and know the effects music could have on every individual and thus music is key parts in every movie made nowadays. Have you ever seen a movie that doesn’t have an original sound track or a movie that did not make use of background music? Ever seen a documentary and the like who did not use music in the background while portraying the videos or documents they have? Having seen some of the uses music could have it may now suffice to say that music is indeed an important aspect in our lives and it plays fundamental role in today’s society (as well as on societies which existed thousand of years ago). As was stated music is an essential part of every culture, of every society and thus it is of no surprise that music is seen as a part of our everyday routines. Music could have fundamental effects on one’s emotion. Think of an instance wherein certain music affected you emotionally. Say you heard a certain song and it evoke within you some sort of emotions like pain, happiness and the like. I remember for an instance a conversation I have had with a friend of mine. He always loves to listen to the lyrics of Ever After of Bonnie Bailey and Come Around by Rhett Miller. He told me that he love listening to Ever After because that used to be their theme song (of his ex girlfriend) and he loves singing Come around because he can relate to that particular song. Thus, seemingly music indeed has certain effects on our emotions. I even remember claiming that my friend is such a masochist because he loves listening to sad songs such as Come Around when he has a choice to do otherwise. Similarly music has certain ways of affecting one’s mood. However it is not really known how do music affects a person physiologically and psychologically as well. Thus, a question may arise as to how do certain music affects a person’s mood. In order to determine how music affects a person’s mood one must first know the root as to how music inspires a person’s emotion. There are two contrasting viewpoints who tried to answer this particular puzzle. These views are called emotivist and cognitivist. For an emotivist they believe in the notion that we feel certain emotions as a form of response everytime we hear certain music. The cognitivist on the other hand believes otherwise. The cognitivists believes that there is more to humans than emotions and thus they believe that we get to decode certain musical emotions on a rational level, thus it shows that the cognitivists do not really believe that we really get to experience musical emotions. In order to see whether the beliefs of the emotivists are correct or not an experiment needs to be conducted in order to see if there are certain music models which could draw out coherent physiological reactions from different kinds of people. This experiment is needed in order for us to see if we really do experience emotions when exposed to a particular music. It is in this regard that a study had been conducted by Krumhansl wherein two groups of student were used. These particular groups of students each partake different activities. The activity went as follow: One group of 40 students dynamically rated the levels of sadness, fear, happiness, and tension in six sample pieces intended to evoke sadness, fear, or happiness. They did so by adjusting a slider on a computer while the music was playing. A separate group, consisting of 38 college students, was hooked up to physiological sensors monitoring a variety of cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory responses which recorded their change over time. Both groups heard the six musical samples with a 90-second pause in between each. The physiological measures taken from the second group were compared with the degree of sadness, fear, happiness, and tension reported by the first group. Both the physiological measures and emotional ratings were recorded as they changed during the course of the piece. Therefore, correlations could be drawn between the intensity of certain emotions and physiological symptoms. (Boswell) The results shown by the experiment was in accordance to the side of the emotivists. Each of the musical selections was rated as having the intended emotion, and consistent physiological responses were found for each measured emotion: sad music was correlated with a decreased heart rate, lowered finger temperature, increased blood pressure, and decreased skin conductance level; happy music with faster and shallower breathing, and fear-invoking music with a slower pulse, faster breathing, and decreased finger temperature. These effects were consistent during the duration of the pieces. (Boswell) This is further proof that the emotivists position was indeed supported by the said experiment. The fact that there was a coherent physiological modification that was produced by the different music used in the said experiment were behavioral evidence enough that those college students indeed experienced certain emotions all throughout the time they were exposed to the music used. This result contradicted the claim that emotions could only be transmitted once a person gets to recognize a certain passage present within a particular music. Another study was made by Sloboda. Sloboda attempted to identify the exact musical composition which brings about definite physical emotional responses. Examples of the said responses are tears, trembling, and the like. The study made use of questionnaire which was dispersed to five hundred British citizens. However, only eighty-three persons send back the survey. It is an important thing to know that those eighty-three persons who answered the survey were experts in terms of music, particularly classical music. The said survey had went on as follow: Participants were instructed to indicate the frequency with which they experienced certain physical responses as an effect of music within the last five years, as well as the piece of music and, if possible, the specific part of the piece or musical event that provoked it. In addition, they were asked to say whether the response was consistently evoked. (Boswell) A huge number of the partakers claimed that they were able to experience certain physical emotional responses such as mirth, trembling, tears, lump in their throats and the like for the last five years of their lives. However the survey showed that women are more prone to experiencing tears as compared to men. Men on the other hand, especially those already on their thirties, claimed that they experienced more laughter than compared to other age. Just as was the case on the experiment conducted by Krumhansl, the survey conducted by Sloboda also showed a great deal of consistency to each piece of music they were exposed to. This particular survey also showed the extent of the consistency in that the reactions remained consistent even though they have heard the certain musical piece for more than fifty times. A further point of interest is that there are particular melodic constructions which showed to have consistent effects upon the partakers of the said survey. Appogiaturas for one were consistent in bringing tears into surface. The experiment also showed that a series of changes in terms of harmony incite trembling, whereas quickening brought about faster heart beats. However, if there is a certain drawback in the said study is the fact that it was conducted with the use of questionnaires. We could have no way of knowing if the person who answered it had answered truthfully or if s/he is merely bluffing. Thus, in a way we have no way of making sure that the partakers of the said survey indeed experienced the particular emotions and physical responses they reported they have experienced for the past five years. Another factor is the fact that those who participated in the survey were all expert on the field of music and thus we could not really deduct from this survey alone that the rest of the world would also act or feel the same way. However there are certain studies which had been conducted which show that very little difference exists between those who have musical expertise and those who have none. In addition, the records stated by the partakers of the said survey regarding their experiences of physical signs of emotions are not really unusual. Thus, in a way we could say that the study conducted by Sloboda also supported the position held by the emotivists. We should also take into account the fact that the physical responses reported by the survey partakers are in fact common in all human beings since we all share the same autonomic response system. However, we should also take note of the fact that our capability to utilize the said system in order for us to feel or experience certain emotions brought about by music is in a way, a learned process. This particular claim is supported by the fact that very young children do not really get to experience the said responses. Even those adults who have different kinds of music as compared to ours are not likely capable to experience the said responses brought about by the music we listen into. Thus, Sloboda claimed that the link between musical compositions and emotions is a learned process which is also dependent on one’s culture. However, this does not necessitate that we do not really get to experience or fell certain emotions from listening to certain music. It only tells us that we may not be able to relate nor are we likely to experience certain emotions from listening to other music that are completely different from ours. Fact is, Sloboda even claimed that if we are to be exposed to music completely different from ours we could still get to relate to that music although it would take time. Therefore even though the link between musical compositions and emotions is a learned process, evidences and studies still show the stand held by the emotivists that we are indeed capable of feeling or experiencing certain emotions simply by listening to a particular music. Thus those who participated in the studies conducted have steadily testified that they have indeed experienced true emotions when they listened to certain music. The researches conducted also accounted for the fact that very little difference in terms of recognizing emotions could be seen between those who have musical expertise and those who have none. Thus this accounted for the emotivists view that we could indeed experience certain emotions simply by listening to certain music, although it is still not clear what inclines us to be affected in certain ways. Research conducted claims that there is really no ground in saying that somewhere in our brains there could be located a region dedicated mainly to process musical data. In contrary, the errand of musical processing is extended to the whole region of our brains. Thus whereas the right brain is responsible for the emotions evoked while listening to music, the left brain is quite responsible for looking at music in a more rational ground thus it tends to critically examine music. There are even proofs which show that the primeval region within our mid brain is the one responsible for our emotions we experience while listening to music. Thus a primeval region within our midbrain engages itself with the task of realizing and appreciating music in an emotional way. However, the specific region wherein music is being developed (if ever there is one) is yet to be known. A study which involves this particular interest was conducted by Schmidt and Trainor. Schmidt and Trainor studied whether or not frontal brain electrical activity correlated with intensity and positivity or negativity, or valence, of emotion. The study showed that the left frontal brain is the one responsible for experiencing positive emotions whereas the right frontal brain is the one responsible for experiencing negative emotions. Thus, emotions such as happiness, interests and the like are product of the left frontal brain whereas emotions such as horror, revulsion, pain and the like were made by the right frontal brain. Therefore it would suffice for us to say that when listening to happy tunes our left frontal brain is likely to be triggered whereas listening to desolate songs would trigger our right frontal brain. It also follows that the intensity of music could affect the intensity of the frontal activity. The hypothesis stated above had already been confirmed. A careful selection of music which would likely draw out positive emotions triggered the left frontal brain whereas a careful selection of music which would likely draw negative emotions triggered the right frontal brain. Thus, the frontal activity of the brain increases every time the intensity of certain music also increases. Thus in a way this is also another proof which supports the emotivist view that listening to certain music could make a person experience certain emotions. Thus a similarity between music and language could be seen. Both language and music alike is inclined to be interpreted subconsciously. Thus, this seems to show that humans have a biological structure which enables music to draw emotions from each of us. And though this particular structure is yet to be known, researchers concluded that the said structure is not composed of a single area on the brain. On the contrary, researchers believe that such structure is made up of an interaction of the different systems which could be found within our brain. It is due to music’s many uses that music is also deemed to have considerable effects on the field of medicine. There are certain accounts taken from the Bible, artifacts, as well as studies that show that music could have considerable effects on a person’s health and well-being. In fact, there are historical inscriptions taken from Egypt, Greek, China and other known civilizations which praise music’s ability in medical matters. Music is widely considered to have medical importance and it is in this regard that music even such a term such as music therapy. After World War II the United States of America even see to it that music therapy would be used on wounded soldiers who were tormented by physical as well as emotional traumas taken from the war. Physicians and nurses alike saw how music helped alleviate some of the soldiers or veterans pain by merely engaging themselves on musical activities. It is on this regard that hospitals started employing musicians to help better their patients’ status. Music had been very helpful in bettering the patient’s emotional as well as psychological status and as many people learned of these certain benefits derived from music, National Association for Musical Therapy came to existence. The need for musical therapy became wide range to the point that the National Association for Musical Therapy or NAMT allied themselves to other musical organizations which in turn resulted into the foundation of the American Music Therapy Association or AMTA. The ranges of music therapy vary widely in that it not only caters to emotional sickness since it also proved to be beneficial in sickness suffered under physical injuries. Music therapy helped people in terms of their perceiving pains. There are a number of reasons why they consider music as an effectual means in limiting perceived pains. First, music could divert a person’s mind from the pain at hand or from the pain a person perceives. Second, music could help in terms of giving a person some kind of control. Thirdly, music could help counter pain since it could help a person in releasing endorphins which are necessary in giving a person some sense of well-being. Fourth, slow music could help a person in terms of relaxation in that it slows a person’s breathing. Take a person with leukemia for an example. Let’s say Person A needs to undergo a certain surgery necessary to cure his leukemia. One should admit that surgical procedures are indeed frightening and thus Person A could not help but be afraid of what’s on store for him and thus Person A’s blood pressure continues to rise and this in turn has a crucial effect on Person A’s healing process. This particular thing could also heighten Person A’s awareness or perception of pain. One’s pain could not be measure by anyone and thus there is no standard in terms of the amount of pain a person could have. It is in this manner that music therapy comes into the picture. We have already enumerated the reasons why music therapy is considered beneficial in medicine and thus in this manner one could be lead to speculate that music therapy could indeed lessen one’s pain perception because it could work in certain ways in order to lessen a person’s perceived pain. Disturbance or diversion could help in certain ways in lessening one’s sense perception and thus it could help moderate the pain a person undergoes. This pain moderation could be redirected to the cognitive section which could be seen in the Gate-Control Theory of Pain. Pleasant music naturally applies or concentrates on a person’s pleasant stimulus which in turn concerns the capability of the information processing system. Since the music would be busy attending to the pleasant stimulus of a person it naturally follows that the person’s occupation would be diverted from the pain-causing stimulus. It is ion this regard that music is considered important in distracting a person because distraction presents a person with an escape by means of imagination which in turn is a crucial means in lessening stress, nervousness and fear which are important factors which constitutes pain. Thus enjoyable imagination could promote some sense of control to a person which could decrease a person’s nervousness and feeling of being powerless. Thus since music helps transfer our attention away from painful experiences it provides us with a strategy we could use when we undergo painful experiences, may it be physically or emotionally.

To Serve and Protect

Each police department believes that integrity and professionalism are the foundations for trust in the community. As trust is a significant element in the overall wellbeing of the society, a working police department must efficiently and effectively manifest integrity and professionalism in its actions so that trust from the community will be earned. The central question, however, is exactly how to achieve such an end. Being a police officer is not an easy task as what others may be inclined to believe.Quite on the contrary, being a police officer is almost synonymous, if not entirely the same, with risking one’s life on the line of duty. It does not take a genius to think that police officers face the risks of â€Å"endangering their lives precisely because of the nature of their work† (Ashenhust, p. 605). Being a police officer, the tasks include almost everyday dealings with dangerous criminals, first time public offenders who pose unpredictable threats to the publi c, or the â€Å"unpredictable public environment† teeming with â€Å"potential hazards to ordinary citizens† (Ashenhust, p. 605).As such, balancing one’s responsibilities and one’s performance in the department is perhaps one of the primary concerns of being a police officer. There are no shortcuts in achieving such a goal. To say the least, the efforts of law enforcing agents to meet their responsibilities is already a given or is already expected that perhaps the primary concern of the officer apart from meeting one’ responsibilities should be the prerogative of establishing good rapport with the public for several good reasons. The credibility of every police officer and of the entire police department is directly affected by the performance of the police agents.As the performance of these agents builds the corresponding image of the police department, it should be the case that the police agents should strive to attain a good performance that w ill consequently raise the image of the whole department. Since the police department is one of the many government institutions built around the directive of serving the people by providing the needed and ample services to the public, it is imperative that the very structure of the police department must be one which is devoid of internal flaws or, at least, has limited flaws (Block, p. 91).In order to do this, requirements for prospective police officers such as those applying for the various police positions must be structured according to the principles under which the department is founded. A careful background check with regard to the personal background of the prospective police officers must be secured first so that no ‘black sheep’ will be included from among the roster of law enforcing agents. Moreover, police departments must see to it that they serve the public with sincerity since an element for building trust is the characteristic of being genuine.In effec t, the mentality of the police officer must be patterned in accordance to the spirit of the principles embodying the government’s law enforcing arm. The police officer must act in accordance to his duties not only because he or she is compelled to do so. Far more importantly, the police officer should act as if the task of being a police officer is not a mere task that must be fulfilled but a task which is treated deeply as if it defines the very existence of the law enforcers. It is not enough to merely act because one is required to do so.Rather, police officers must begin to realize the thought that acting one’s duty not out of necessity but out of one’s personal drive is far more rewarding, if not for the police department at least for the self. To achieve such a feat, moral building activities must be pursued every once in a while in order to maintain the level of sincerity of the police officers. Enrichment activities specifically geared towards refining a nd realigning the sincerity of the police officers must be pursued so that the police officers will not lose track of the morality behind principled law enforcement.By being able to successfully maintain a considerable and observable level of sincerity towards the provision of services to the public, the people will not hesitate to build their trust around the police officers. This is because a legion of police officers being able to sufficiently meet the needs of the community in terms of protection will be able to attract the positive attention of the public. This positive attention on the other hand will expand the good relations between the police officers and the public inasmuch as the police services are sustained.A positive correlation of a form of relationship between the two creates a more sincere atmosphere. As sincerity translates to a heightened sense of integrity and professionalism, police officers will most likely gain the trust of the community. Further, each police officer should be committed to an open and honest relationship with the community. By this we mean to say that every existing police officer and department must be able to create a harmonious coexistence with the community.Although building such an atmosphere is not an easy task, it is nevertheless a possible feat, achievable through the initiative of either the law enforcing agencies or the public, perhaps even both at the same time, or if not, the former case will be more preferred. There are many ways to achieve, and most of these measures are already used in most organizations. For one, every department of the police must have the attitude of establishing rapport with the community as it can benefit both sides in many ways. Establishing rapport with community can be achieved through an open communication with the community.A form of this type is an open dialogue with the individuals of the community every now and then, say at least once a month, so that the police departments ar e able to â€Å"get updated with the recent developments from amongst the members of the community† and the whole community in the long run (Goldstein, p. 1123). Being able to create an open dialogue with the public reconsolidates the relationship between police officers and the public. But that is not to say that the police should abandon the objective of sustaining this relationship after a short period.Quite on the contrary, police officers should take all the chances and efforts of maintaining this rapport. Constant communication with the public—even in simple cases where patrolling police officers can have simple conversation with passing commuters or people attending to their businesses along the streets—aside from open dialogues between the department and the community can be effective means of reinforcing the open communication and harmonious relationship between police officers and the public.Another way of creating a rapport between the law enforcing d epartments and the community is to consistently visit and monitor the vicinity where the individuals in the community live in order to have direct contact with the people. This ensures that the people within the community are able to get a firsthand experience of interacting with the police officers. It amounts to increasing the feeling of security for the people which in turn furnishes an open relationship between the two sides.For the most part, an ‘honest’ police department is a branch of the law enforcing agencies which â€Å"does not hide anything from what the public must essentially know since police departments are still branches of the government† created for the people (Huddleston and Sands, p. 139). Hence, one way of maintaining an ‘honest’ relationship from both sides is to keep track of the police developments, update the public about these developments, and keep a record for police activities so that the public will be guided accordingl y.An ‘open’ relationship, on the other hand, entails the presupposition that the public should not hide things in which the police departments must primarily get a grasp on. Conversely, police authorities must also provide the public the vital information they are presumed to know. This can be achieved through a public information dissemination campaign such as public bulletins were police announcements can be placed. In summary, every institution of the police department firmly believes that integrity and professionalism are the key foundations for building trust with the community.Likewise, every department of the police should be committed to an open and honest relationship with the community. These two codes of ethics make it quite certain that an effective and efficient police body will be maintained while at the same time having a community which responds in accordance to the policies being offered by the police departments. A seamless cooperation between the poli ce department and the community can be achieved when proper codes of ethics are greatly taken into account. Indeed, being a police officer is no easy task as some may believe it to be.The dangers of being a police officer are as real as they get, and the tasks are equally heavy. Being a police officer means to serve and to protect not only in terms of serving and protecting the interest of the public but the very integrity of every police department as well. It is like a two sided responsibility where one is inextricable from the other. The fulfillment of one is never enough as well as with the other. That is, being of true service necessitates a good, if not better, performance for the police department and, more importantly, for the public.Works Cited Ashenhust, P. H. â€Å"Being a Police Officer. † The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science 49. 6 (1995): 605. Block, Richard L. â€Å"Fear of Crime and Fear of the Police. † Social Problems 19. 1 (199 1): 91. Goldstein, H. â€Å"Police Policy Formulation: A Proposal for Improving Police Performance. † Michigan Law Review 65. 6 (1997): 1123. Huddleston, M. W. , and J. C. Sands. â€Å"Enforcing Administrative Ethics. † Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 537 (1995): 139.