EGYPT TOURIST DESTINATION essays

EGYPT TOURIST DESTINATION essays Egypt is located in Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip. With total land area about 995,450 square kilometres, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and the second-most populous on the African Continent. It is a diverse country that straddles two worlds, Africa and the Middle East. Its people have backgrounds that include Turkish, Arab, African, Nubian, Pharonic (ancient Egyptians), European, Berber, Eastern European, etc. Egypt is a popular tourist destination for its many exciting and exotic sights and activities [2004 #2]. The Pyramids of Giza are probably the best-known attraction, along with the ancient mysteries of Luxor and Aswan in Upper Egypt, with many beautiful Mosques and other examples of Islamic art and architecture. Egypt is becoming known for its beautiful and inexpensive beaches on the Red Sea where people can get their certification in Scuba diving while observing the incredible beauty of Egypts Red Sea coral reefs. There are spectacular oases in the Egyptian Western Desert where bathing in hot or cold water springs is possible. Egypt also has a history in the Jewish and Christian religions. Culturally, the Egyptian people are warm, open and friendly [Yousef, 2003 #3]. Pull Factors refer to the ability of a destination to pull or draw visitors to it, thus it relates more to characteristics of the destination and not the tourist. As such, pull factors refer to the supply side of tourism [Weaver, 2002 #4]. There are nine pull factors that can encourage or discourage tourism and five will be explained in depth [Richardson, 1996 #35]. Geographical Proximity to markets The distance between the region of origin and region of destination is a proportionate factor that influences the tourist. Statistically it has been determined that the number of visitors from origin X to destination Y will decrease depending on the extent of trave...

PSAT vs SAT 6 Key Differences You Must Know

PSAT vs SAT 6 Key Differences You Must Know SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There's the PSAT, there's the SAT. There are even a few other assessments, as it turns out. There's a lot of jargon out there when it comes to the tests offered by the College Board, so it's important to know exactly what you're signing up for- and how each test is different. The SAT suite of assessments is designed to work together. All tests are fundamentally similar, and you can use any one to prepare for any other. That being said, the PSAT vs SAT isn't a perfectly equal match-up. In reality, there are some differences- both major and minor- between them. We take a look at these below. The SAT Suite of Tests: Overview First things first, let's establish what College Board tests are actually out thereand what these tests' often confusing monikers actually mean. PSAT 8/9 This test is taken in 8th and/or 9th grade to indicate what areas need special attention before a student graduates high school. PSAT 10 This test is exactly identical to the PSAT/NMSQT (discussed below); however, it's only offered in the spring and is only open to students in the 10th grade. PSAT/NMSQT This test, taken in the fall of 10th and/or 11th grade,is another check-in point meant to point out any skills a student has yet to master. Notably, though, it also gives students a chance to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. SAT The college admission test we all know and love, the SATindicates your college readiness to any schools receiving your application. From here on out, we're going to zero in on the two tests that do most of the heavy lifting: the PSAT/NMSQT (hereafter referred to simply as the PSAT) and the SAT. There are similarities, and there are differences. PSAT vs SAT: What's the Same? The content and format of the SAT and PSAT are very similar, though not identical.Before we get into the key differences, let's talk about what doesn't change from one test to the other. #1: Content These two tests cover the same subjects. I mean, exactlythe same subjects- it's even a bit eerie. There's algebra on the PSAT; there's algebra on the SAT. There are vocab-in-context questions on the PSAT, and there are vocab-in-context questions on the SAT, too. You get the picture. #2: Basic Structure The style of the questions doesn't change much from one test to the other,either in terms of wording or the actual tasks. Also, the overall structureandglobal goal of testing remain the same. Both tests have two major components:Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), and Math (the SAT also has an optional Essay component- more on that below). EBRW includes the Reading Test and theWriting and Language Test, whereas Math is made up of two subsections: one allows the use of a calculator, and the other one does not. On both the PSAT and the SAT, you'll getpassages on the Reading and Writing sections.On the Reading section you'll answer reading comprehension questions, and on the Writing section you'll answer questions about how to fix grammatical and stylistic weaknesses in the text. In addition, both the PSAT and SAT Math sections contain grid-in questions as well as multiple-choice questions.The grid-in questions come at the end of eachsection. #3: Subscores and Cross-Test Scores In addition to your final composite score, you'll always receivecross-test scores and subscores on the PSAT and SAT. However, there's a division between Math andEBRW,and there are a few other specifications, too. The two cross-test scores are Analysis in History/Social Studies and Analysis in Science.These scores refer to every question that tests critical thinking in the named areas, whetherappearing in a verbal section or the qualitative one. As for subscores, these differ for each of the three sections on the PSAT and SAT. The Reading section uses the following subscores: Command of Evidence Words in Context The Writing and Languagesection gives us these subscores: Expression of Ideas Standard English Conventions And finally, the Math section's subscores are as follows: Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data Analysis Passport to Advanced Math #4: No Guessing Penalty In the olden days, answering a question wrong meant having points literally deducted from your score.One-quarterpoint per question, to be exact. So if you missed eightquestions, not only would you not get those eightpoints, but you'd also lose an extra two points. Those two points would be subtracted from the points you'd already earned. Fortunately, those dark days are over.Today, if you miss eight questions on either the PSAT or SAT, all you lose is the opportunity to earn those eight points. Nothing gets subtracted from your score! Sometimes, on the SAT or PSAT, it's worth taking a gamble. PSAT vs SAT: What's Different? Now that we've covered the similarities between the two tests, let's dig into the differences. #1: Purpose The first major difference is the purpose of each test. Whereas the SAT isa common requirement for college admissions,the PSAT is an SAT practice test and the basis for the National Merit Scholarship Program.In other words, since the PSAT is essentially a precursor to the SAT, it is not as important as the SAT is. In regard to colleges, the PSAT has no impact on your admission chances, while the SAT typically does. Even a super low score on the PSAT would have no effect on your college applications. By contrast, a super low SAT score would likely significantly lower your admission chances. With National Merit, you can only enter the competition if you get in the top 1% of scorers on the PSAT (and are a high school junior). Thus, while a top 1% SAT score would no doubt give a boost to your college applications, it would not make you eligible for National Merit. #2: Score Range The PSAT is scored ona scale of 320-1520, while the SAT is scored ona scale of 400-1600. This means that the individual section score ranges differ as well. On the PSAT, EBRW and Math are each scored on a scale of 160-760.On the SAT, however, these sections are scored on a slightly bigger scale of200-800. Your PSAT score is meant to directly predict your SAT score.So if you get 1200 on the PSAT, you can expect to get roughly the same score if you took the SAT without further preparation. Why the different score ranges, though? Because the PSAT is a little less challenging (so as to accommodatea lower grade level),a perfect score on the PSAT falls a little short of a perfect score on the SAT. #3: Timing It's also important to notethat the amount of time and the number of questions for each section differ between the two tests. The SAT is slightly longer and has more questions,but the amount of time allottedper question is generally the same. The only exception is the Math No Calculator subsection, for which you get 13 seconds more per question on the PSAT than you do on the SAT. Here's an overview of the time and question differences between the PSAT and SAT: Test Section Time # of Questions Time per Question PSAT Reading 60 minutes 48 75 seconds Writing 35 minutes 44 48 seconds Math No Calc 25 minutes 17 88 seconds Math Calc 45 minutes 31 87 seconds Total 165 minutes 139 - SAT Reading 65 minutes 52 75 seconds Writing 35 minutes 44 48 seconds Math No Calc 25 minutes 20 75 seconds Math Calc 55 minutes 38 87 seconds Essay (optional) 50 minutes 1 50 minutes Total 180 minutes (230 minutes with essay) 154 (155 with essay) - If you skip the essay, the SAT is only 15 minutes longer.But if youdo take the essay- which is probably wise- you're in for an extra hour of testing.You'll want to train your endurance toward that goal. #4: The Essay You'll note that there was actually more than just a matter of timing implied in that last section. That's right: the PSAT has no essay. The SAT, on the other hand, does. It's optional, so you don't have to take it.But as your colleges might require or recommend it, you should be aware that this is one aspect of the SAT that the PSAT won't prepare you for. As a result,make sure you give the essay some attention before you dive into the SAT. Colleges tend to like having students write essays. #5:Level of Difficulty Throughout the College Board's suite of tests,things get a little bit harder.It's nothing huge; you just might find that the PSAT has more concrete, find-this-detail-in-the-text questions whilethe SAT has more abstract, what-purpose-did-this-detail-serve sorts of questions. #6: Logistics The final difference lies in the logistics of the PSAT and SAT, namely how each test is administered, how much each test costs, and where you can take each test. In terms of administration, the PSAT is held just once a year in October, while the SAT is offered seven times throughout the school year.(You can also take the SAT on adesignated school-day test day.) As you can see, you're typically expected to take the PSAT just once or twice in total. With the SAT, however, you have far more options to retake itand raise your score. Another big logistical difference is price. Though the PSAT is sometimes free for students whose schools cover the full cost of the test, the typical price is$16 a test.Comparatively, the SAT costs $46 without the Essay and $60 with the Essay. (Note that fee waivers are available for both the PSAT and SAT.) Finally, while the PSAT is alwaysadministered at schools,the SAT is administered at both schools and test centers. So if you're homeschooled or if your school doesn't offer the PSAT, you'll need to find another local school at which you can take it. PSAT vs SAT: Key Takeaways It's always a good idea to throw in a full-length, officialpractice PSAT before you take the real thing. If you're preparing for the PSAT using an SAT program, the good news is that you'll likely be overly prepared in terms of comfort with the content and your overall endurance. What you'll need to watch out for, though, is a probable tendency to overanalyzethe slightly simpler questions on the PSAT. Know that you will not be writing an essay on the PSAT, either. If you're preparing for the SAT using the PSAT, bear in mind that though it will get you most of the way there, you'll still need to supplement your study program with official practice SAT questions and at least a few cracks at the essay. What's Next? Prepare for the task ahead of you,whether it be the PSAT, the SAT, or both. It's important to be familiar with what you'll be doing on test day. And practice, as they say, makes perfect. Set some good goals- find out what it takes to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, and learnwhat a good PSAT score looks like. That's actually not a simple question to answer, but reading up on the subject will get you feeling more comfortable with what you should aim for! If it's too early to think about the PSAT or the SAT, read some carefully considered advice about taking the PSAT 8/9. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Question Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question - Lab Report Example om the supply side of Economics, the traditional proposition is that producers should exploit natural resources and subject them to the highest and best use possible. This implies that in our Capitalist dispensation, there is a risk and a possibility that if the fundamental concepts and ideas of Economics are employed, most natural resources are prone to becoming depleted. This is because Economics encourage businesses to exploit the natural resources to the best way and manner possible. This is because anything that can bring money that is not illegal can be pursued. Traditional laws do not criminalise the massive exploitation of resources. This is because the mainstream process of making law is to fundamentally protect the people living in society. Hence, there was a general trend in which traditional Economics neglected the rights of the unborn. Thus, it is generally rare for laws to be made to strictly control the misuse and depletion of natural resources. However, environmental awareness and the need for sustainability have grown over the past 50 years. And the fundamental premise of environmentalism is that there must be some kind of sensitivity to environmental concerns when dealing with Economics. Therefore, there is the need for Economics to be adjusted. There is a natural tendency for Economics to adjust to embrace important changes and modifications in society. Therefore, in relation to sustainability, there is the need for Economics to emphasise on the need for environmental and natural capital to be identified and treated differently and separately from other forms of capital. This new approach must provide metrics and processes for the measurement of environmental footprints of businesses and corporate entities. And with these systems and processes in place, there is the obligation for firms to be tasked with environmental responsibility. And this is to be done through the creation of a Corporate Social Responsibility system that will ensure that

International service Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International service - Assignment Example etation, it is the hope of this particular student that the reader will gain a more informed understanding and appreciation for the way in which credit rating works and whether or not it is a useful and appreciable tool that should be considered as vital for the continued economic development of the world or whether or not it should be dismissed based upon its inherent shortcomings. Firstly, in seeking to analyze the benefits of credit rating system, it should be noted that this particular system provides the individual with an incentive to pay their bills, and conduct their financial matters in a responsible manner; as a means of receiving the reward of gaining a higher credit score and having potential access to more readily available credit in the future. Furthermore, another tacit benefit that credit rating provides has to do with the level of discernment that it to financial institutions with regard to whether or not a particular loan or investment would be risky and should therefore be shunned. However, beyond the strengths and potential benefits that the credit rating system can provide, it is also inherently prone to key weaknesses and shortcomings. For instance, at the point in time in which an individual loses employment or is unable to pay their bills, due to a medical emergency or some other unexpected events, the credit rating of the individual immediately plummets. Naturally, at the point in time in which the individual is most in need of immediate credit, the access to such credit is almost all but nonexistent. Furthermore, if an individual finds themselves with extremely low credit, the interest rates that they must pay will be convinced currently high; denoting the high level of risk that the borrower engenders to the financial institution question (Mattarocci 18). As can relatively be noted, the extraordinarily high interest rates that individuals with low credit scores must pay create something of a reciprocal process through which the ability

Guns Germs and Steel Essay Example for Free

Guns Germs and Steel Essay Yali asked the question of â€Å"why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had so little cargo of our own? † (Diamond 14) In other words, he is asking â€Å"what is the factor between our people and ours that causes human development to proceed at different rates? † (Diamond 16) What Yali is really asking though, is, what is this mysterious factor? According to Diamond, the basis for development is the environment around us including the resources and the native people of New Guinea don’t live in an area where a chance is provided for them to take advantage of. The natural resources are just enough for them to get by. This is why the people of New Guinea produce so little â€Å"cargo† of their own. Pizarro’s capture of Atahuallpa and destruction of the Incas made the Europeans realize what power they head, and what they could do to the rest of the world. They easily wiped out the Inca’s of 80,000 with 168 men. From the Battle of Cajamarca, Pizzaro came back to Charles I saying that Europe had the power to conquer the Americas. There were reasons Pizarro and the Europeans could conquer the Americas†¦ They had better warfare than the Incas. Pizarro’s men had armor rode horseback and used steel compared to their wooden weapons. Eurasia happened to have an abundance of edible material because of the right environment leading to the domestication of plants and animals led the people to settle down in one place instead of being nomads. When people started to settle down and bring the food to them, they started to have a surplus which led for the people to have extra jobs and it started to also support a higher population while allowing women to have more children contributing to job specialization. These specialists were not devoted to farmers or food producers but varied to priests, blacksmiths etc. Permanent agriculture societies were able to from with the food surpluses leading to empires. Some of the reason that people began to settle down and farm are because at the time many wild foods began to decrease due to hunters and gatherers killing off too many large animals leaving life unsustainable. More wild plants that could be domesticated became available at the time. Technological advances allowe3d people to harvest and store greater amounts of food that they cultivated. Human populations rose it’s not clear how much it caused food production and how much food production caused it but researchers believe there’s a connection. As populations rose, they needed to have better food supplies and started farming. The farm societies were able to drive out neighboring hunter-gatherers. A continent with long east-west axis like (Eurasia) has an advantage over continents with long north-south axes (like Africa and the Americas). The reasons it does have to do with crops and longitude. In general similar crops can grow at similar longitudes. In other words a cropped that developed in one place can be spread east to west (or west to east) but less likely to spread north and south. Epidemic diseases developed among the societies that had been farming the longest. These were Eurasian societies. Societies in the Americas, Australia, and other places had not been farming as long and lacked epidemic diseases. When Europeans came in contact with Native Americans, for example, European epidemic diseases killed huge percentages of the Native Americans. This helped the Europeans conquer and the conquest made them richer and more powerful. Therefore germs help to answer Yalis question. The societies that did independently invent writing were those with complex hierarchies and sophisticated systems of food production. Writing was needed for politics and was generally learned by bureaucrats who had the comfort of available time and energy. As food was available to them, they had no need to hunt and gather for themselves. Since their basic needs were being met, they could focus on a higher level of existence and communication. There are two conditions in which technology may develop. The first is â€Å"mother necessity ideology† which is when a society needs something to make things easier they invent it. Technology differed from place to place because there were more people to invent and better diffusion to spread the invention. The opposite happened in the Americas because there were less people and a slower diffusion rate. Also different cultures had different ideas for change. The only way that society can emerge is through food. Such developments include jobs, such as the chief and the beginnings of government. The institutions of society changed over time based on how organized they were. They evolved based around various factors like war and other societies. They are related by diffusion. Whenever a state is conquered by another state they enforce use of their technology or exploit it. States are going to develop weapons, troops, and religion in order to make the state survive. They develop in response to need of their population size. They use these agents of conquest to become larger and to conquer other societies; and for that they need guns, germs, and steel. What Diamond is saying is that he thinks that people really should not think that history is so much different from the sciences. He is saying that the study of history can be pretty scientific if it is done correctly (and that some sciences are not as precise as things like chemistry). Diamond is trying to argue that historians should use what he calls natural experiments. He thinks that there are many experiments where there are two or more places that are pretty similar in many ways but which then turned out differently (like his experiment in Chapter 2). He argues that historians can use these they can look at what was different and what was similar and how the differences led to the differences in the outcomes. Guns, Germs, and Steel Book Review I think Diamond’s central intent of writing the book is to explain how varying societies become dominate, and how certain others can become dominated. By looking at environmental conditions that caused the disparities that lead to certain societies developing guns, germs, and steel, including other technology, and forming a government necessary for conquest. He introduced the book with Yali’s question â€Å"Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people has so little cargo of our own? † This question used a scientific/geographic background, and set his intent is to answer the question or inform how to answer the question. He also tries to analyze the causes of the expansion of civilizations’ in some parts of the world, since all people are physically the same what could cause some to be successful and others to die? He used archaeological and historical case studies and evidence from genetics and linguistics, he argued that technological and gaps in power are not caused by race or culture differences but by environmental differences, He used the idea of the axis as one saying that Eurasia had an east to west (or west to east) therefore having an advantage over Africa or the Americas for instance, because crops could grow at the same longitude but it was more difficult as they went north and south. Also when cultural or genetic differences have favored Eurasians like for example written language or resistance to epidemic diseases he says these advantages occurred because of the influence and geography on societies and cultures and were not inherited as genes from Eurasian ancestors. Diamonds book argues that the differences in progress for different societies around the world do not result from one group being smarter or more resourceful than another. Rather, he focuses on the impact of geography whether food and other key items were plentiful, whether and how disease spread, and how these developments led to different levels of industrialization, and wealth The book â€Å"Guns, Germs, and Steel† was very well written in the sense that Diamond had a question in which was the foundation of the book, he throughout the book acquired evidence and explanations and ideas of how to answer the question. The book had evidence to back it up by explaining how Eurasia had a better opportunity being west to east meaning they had better crop farming. Which led to a growing civilization and soon conquest. The book wasn’t exactly dull or boring but it wasn’t exciting or entertaining either. It was like any other history book it asked a question, then went on to the point. There was an explanation of the main topic which was Yali’s question and evidence that dealt with answering the question. From beginning to end, Diamond stresses that he realizes that efforts to compare societies have frequently been used by racists or nationalists to belittle groups or justify mistreatment of them. He argues that his analysis is in fact anti-racism at work because it shows that the white people who enjoy the comforts of modern life are ultimately luckier than, not more deserving than, people in impoverished nations.

Princess Diana :: Informative

Princess. What does the term really mean? Most people associate it with a fairy-tale life. You have everything you want right at your finger-tips. You are perfectly happy and nothing can go wrong. In reality though, is this true? Lady Diana Spencer was seen as a perfect, flawless princess. But who really was she? What did the title â€Å"Princess† mean to her? Diana secretly struggled with insecurity her entire life, but her determination and compassion shaped the way the world thought of her. Throughout her life Diana displayed a very insecure nature. Psychologists think this was rooted in her childhood (Smith). When she was six, her mom left her family (Smith). After her parent’s high-profile divorce was finalized, she remembered her father’s distant, lonely silences, and her mother’s constant crying (Morton 35). Diana described this as a â€Å"wish-washy and painful experience† (33). Due to these circumstances she felt detached and different from others at a very young age (34). For Diana’s engagement party to the Prince of Wales, she wore a black dress that she thought was â€Å"pretty and smart† (51-52). When Prince Charles saw her, he said with disgust, â€Å"only people in mourning wear black† (170-171). She was destroyed by this comment. She needed people’s constant support and compliments (170). Later in her marriage, her husband’s lack of attention led her to suffer from bulimia and to make several su icide attempts (85-86). Once, when she was attempting to gain Prince Charles’ attention, she took a penknife and cut her chest and thighs (77). Seeing the bloody sight he said, â€Å"You are crying wolf.† This comment added to her negative self-esteem (188). The constant press coverage put her under lots of pressure. â€Å"It warped her sense of who she was through its unrealistic expectations, distortions, exaggerations and outright inventions† (Smith). It made her believe she had to live up to the impossible expectations that were being forced on her (Smith). Diana was easily influenced and very sensitive. She let other people’s views of her and life’s uncontrollable circumstances affect her self-image. Diana showed great determination by following what she believed in. She had a passion for ballet throughout her entire life. When she was at boarding school, she would sneak down to an empty corridor at night and practice for hours on end. Even though she grew too tall to accomplish her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, she kept dancing throughout her adult years (Morton 125).

Principles of Marketing (MRKT 310) Study Guide Essay

Overview Welcome to the Student Study Guide for Spring 2010. This document will assist you study throughout the semester and as you prepare for the common final exam required for all sections of MRKT 310. Your faculty member has been instrumental in the design of this test. Continue to seek his or her help understanding the material as the semester progresses. Many of the text concepts are not included in the final exam and your faculty member through written assignments, case studies, conferences, or other methods will assess your understanding of them. UMUC requires all proctored final exams in the School of Undergraduate Studies be closed book. Therefore, no notes or other study aids will be allowed in the testing center. This is a comprehensive final exam covering the entire course. All policies and procedures required by UMUC and the testing center apply. For those of you taking the paper and pencil version of the final exam, there are two versions (Version A and Version B) each consisting of an eight-page Test Instrument and a six-page Answer Sheet (pages 9 through 14). You may find it useful to detach the Answer Sheet from the Test Instrument to allow you easier access to both documents. Write your name and section number (e.g., 6980, 6981, 6982, etc.) on the Answer Sheet. You may write on the test instrument, but only responses on the Answer Sheet will be graded. For those of you taking the online version of the final exam, all instructions will be noted on your computer screen. The online final exam is identical to the paper-and-pencil version except for the question order. We strongly encourage you to sign up for the online version if it is available at your testing site. Please be warned that this is not an easy test and you should be prepared to spend the entire three-hour time allotment at your proctored testing center. Most of your time should be spent on the short and long essays. Do not dwell on the definitions and the multiple-choice sections. You will either know them or you won’t, depending on your preparation, and you will waste valuable time you will need for the essays. You should be receiving this common student study guide at the beginning of the semester. Print it out and keep it close at hand. Be sure to review it carefully and ask your faculty member any clarifying questions on either test format or content prior to the first day of finals week. Once finals week has begun, your faculty member will not be able to answer any questions regarding the final exam. When you finish your exam, return BOTH the Test Instrument and your completed Answer Sheet to your proctor. Answer Sheets returned without the Test Instrument will not be graded. Part I – Definitions (25 percent) You will need to know the definitions for 25 marketing terms. You will read the definition and select the correct answer from the Word Bank. Then, print the number of the correct term on your answer sheet. Following is the exact Word Bank as it will appear on your final exam. WORD BANK All correct terms for the above 25 statements can be found on this list. 1. Brand 2. value proposition 3. sales promotion 4. maturity 5. motive 6. economic environment 7. microenvironment 8. direct marketing 9. consumer perceived value 10. lifestyle 11. marketing mix 12. market segmentation 13. consumer market 14. Marketing information system 15. product mix 16. value delivery network 17. SWOT analysis 18. intensive distribution 19. price elasticity 20. positioning 21. commercialization 22. Product life cycle 23. product 24. target market 25. culture 1. Brand – is a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business. 2. Value proposition – is an analysis and quantified review of the benefits, costs and value that an organization can deliver to customers and other constituent groups within and outside of the organization. 3. Sales promotion is one of the four aspects of promotional mix. (The other three parts of the promotional mix are advertising, personal selling, and publicity/public relations.) Media and non-media marketing communication are employed for a pre-determined, limited time to increase consumer demand, stimulate market demand or improve product availability. 4. Maturity 5. Motive – An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action. 6. Economic environment – Economics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. 7. The micro-environment consists of stakeholder groups that a firm has regular dealings with. The way these relationships develop can affect the costs, quality and overall success of a business. Suppliers, distributors, customers and competition. 8. Direct marketing – is a form of advertising that reaches its audience without using traditional formal channels of advertising, such as TV, newspapers or radio. Businesses communicate straight to the consumer with advertising techniques such as fliers, catalogue distribution, promotional letters, and street advertising. 9. Consumer perceived value – The value of a product is the mental estimation a consumer makes of it. Formally it may be conceptualized as the relationship between the consumer’s perceived benefits in relation to the perceived costs of receiving these benefits. It is often expressed as the equation: Value = Benefits / Cost 10. Lifestyle – A manner of living that reflects the person’s values and attitudes. 11. Marketing mix – Product, price, place and promotion. Packaging, People, Public Voice, Pamper, Politics and Physical Evidence. 12. Market segmentation – Market segmentation is a strategy that involves dividing a larger market into subsets of consumers who have common needs and applications for the goods and services offered in the market. These subgroups of consumers can be identified by a number of different demographics, depending on the purposes behind identifying the groups. Marketing campaigns are often designed and implemented based on this type of customer segmentation. 13. Consumer market – A defined group of consumers. Buyers and potential buyers of goods and services for personal and household use 14. Marketing information system – Set of procedures and practices employed in analyzing and assessing marketing information, gathered continuously from sources inside and outside of a firm. Timely marketing information provides basis for decisions such as product development or improvement, pricing, packaging, distribution, media selection, and promotion. See also market information system. 15. Product mix – Range of associated products which yield larger sales revenue when marketed together than if they are marketed individually or in isolation of others. 16. Value delivery network – A Value Delivery is a company’s supply chain and how it partners with specific suppliers and distributors in the process of producing goods and delivering them to market. It involves using competitive advantages external to the firm (suppliers, distributors, customers). 17. SWOT analysis – A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis. 18. Intensive distribution – Marketing strategy under which a firm sells through as many outlets as possible, so that the consumers encounter the product virtually everywhere they go: supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations, etc. Soft drinks are generally made available through intensive distribution. 19. Price elasticity – Is an elasticity used in economics to show the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good or service to a change in its price. 20. Positioning – In marketing, positioning has come to mean the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. 21. Commercialization – is the process or cycle of introducing a new product into the market. 22. Product life cycle – A new product progresses through a sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline. This sequence is known as the product life cycle and is associated with changes in the marketing situation, thus impacting the marketing strategy and the marketing mix. 23. Product – An item that ideally satisfies a market’s want or need. 24. Target market – Involves breaking a market into segments and then concentrating your marketing efforts on one or a few key segments. 25. Culture – Represents the behavior, beliefs and, in many cases, the way we act learned by interacting or observing other members of society. In this way, much of what we do is shared behavior, passed along from one member of society to another. Part II – Multiple Choice (20 percent) There are 20 multiple-choice questions from which you can select a, b, c, or d responses. Be careful as most multiple-choice questions will have at least two choices that look feasible. Select the one that is the most on point. The multiple-choice questions are both definitional and application types. Select the correct letter of your choice and write it on the Answer Sheet in the appropriately numbered box. The following list comprises those concepts from the text, which you can expect to be assessed via the final exam. They are presented in order of the course objectives. Course Objective 1 – understand how marketing strategy creates a positive relationship between a firm and its customers. (Chapter 1) 1. Relationships between needs, wants, demands – is the process by which companies determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development.[1] It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. Marketing is used to identify the customer, to keep the customer, and to satisfy the customer. With the customer as the focus of its activities, it can be concluded that marketing management is one of the major components of business management. The evolution of marketing was caused due to mature markets and overcapacities in the last 2-3 centuries. Companies then shifted the focus from production to the customer in order to stay profitable. The term marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions.[2] It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors. 2. Marketing management orientations – An organization with a market orientation focuses its efforts on 1) continuously collecting information about customers’ needs and competitors’ capabilities, 2) sharing this information across departments, and 3) using the information to create customer value. 3. The market orientation simply defines an organization that understands the importance of customer needs, makes an effort to provide products of high value to its customers, and markets its products and services in a coordinated holistic program across all departments. In what we call the â€Å"Marketing Concept,† the company embraces a philosophy that the â€Å"Customer is King.† The Marketing Concept is an attitude. It’s a philosophy that is driven down throughout the organization from the very top of the management structure. The Marketing Concept communicates that â€Å"the customer is king.† Everything that the company does focuses on the customer. Via the Marketing Concept, a company makes every effort to best understand the wants and needs of its target market and to create want-satisfying goods that best fulfill the needs of that target market and to do this better than the competition. The term  marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions.[2] It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors. 4. Partner relationship management – is a business strategy for improving communication between companies and their channel partners. 5. Importance and process of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – is a company-wide business strategy designed to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. True CRM brings together information from all data sources within an organization (and where appropriate, from outside the organization) to give one, holistic view of each customer in real time. This allows customer facing employees in such areas as sales, customer support, and marketing to make quick yet informed decisions on everything from cross-selling and upselling opportunities to target marketing strategies to competitive positioning tactics. Course Objective 2 – Appreciate the importance of ethics and social responsibility in marketing. (Chapter 20) Differences between consumerism and environmentalism – is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods or services in ever greater amounts. environmentalism – is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment. 1. Sustainable marketing principles 2. Role of ethics and corporate responsibility Course Objective 3 – Understand the role of marketing within an organization and how marketing relates to and drive customer-focused company strategy. (Chapter 2) 1. Marketing’s role in company wide strategic planning 2. Difference between value chain and value delivery network 3. Contents of a marketing plan and general idea of what is included in each section 4. Consumer (or customer-driven) oriented marketing strategy Course Objective 4 – Describe the impact of external and internal environments on marketing strategy. (Chapters 3, 18) 1. Major actors in a company’s microenvironment 2. Major forces in a company’s macroenvironment 3. Competitive positions Course Objective 5 – Demonstrate ability to analyze, synthesize and integrate key marketing concept of market research, consumer behavior, segmentation, targeting and positioning on practical situations. (Chapters 4, 5, 7) 1. Difference between a marketing information system and marketing intelligence 2. Psychological factors affecting a person’s buying choices 3. Marketing targeting strategies Course Objective 6 – Define and apply the marketing processes underlying product, price, place, and promotion decisions. (Chapters 8, 9, 10, 12, 14) 1. Product and service classifications 2. Three levels of products 3. Branding strategies 4. Customer equity 5. Characteristics of services product life cycle strategies 6. Role of profits in delivering customer value 7. Setting prices based on customer perceptions of value 8. Differences between direct and indirect marketing channels Part III – Short Essay Responses (25 percent) There are six short essay response questions; but you need to complete ONLY FIVE. All of the short essay questions are looking for something specific and may involve a listing of steps or stages in a marketing process. It will be difficult for you to answer these questions unless you know the material. You do not have to use the exact terminology, but you do have to demonstrate you know the steps or stages for maximum credit. Your essay responses need to be recorded on the Answer Sheet in the space provided (approximately l/3 page), but if you need additional room you may use the backside of the Answer Sheet. Be sure to mark the continued question number clearly. Leave the essay question you are skipping blank. Each short essay response is worth 5 points. Chapter (one question per chapter) Marketing concept to be tested 2 Elements in a company’s microenvironment and why each group is important to create value 20 Be prepared to name a company you believe practices enlightened marketing and defend your selection 8 Importance and selection of the four brand strategy decisions. 8 Characteristics of services 9 Marketing strategies for each stage of the product life cycle 11 Pricing strategies for new products There are three long essay questions that will require you to merge multiple marketing concepts and apply them to a specific scenario. You ONLY NEED TO ADDRESS TWO OF THE THREE LONG ESSAYS. The more specifics you can demonstrate the more credit you can earn. You may want to outline your response on the backside of the Test Instrument prior to writing your response on the Answer Sheet so you can organize your thoughts and in the sequence you want them presented to your faculty member for grading. Each long essay question is worth 15 points. The long essay questions will cover the following marketing topics: 1. Integrated Marketing Communications – Be prepared to recommend an IMC strategy including a marketing communications mix and rationale for a new consumer product 2. Customer Relationship Management – Be prepared to outline a CRM strategy for a small business, including recommendations for specific CRM tools to capture customer value for that company’s most valued customers. 3. Segmentation, targeting and positioning – Be prepared to outline the characteristics of at least three distinct market segments for a national chain referring to the criteria for effective segments. Be prepared to defend your choices. From all your marketing faculty members — good luck on this exam and the remainder of your academic career.

Devotion to God

Devotion (bhakti) to God animates many selections from Hindu scriptures in our anthology (Fisher and Bailey, pp. 61-88). Devotion or bhakti is an enlightened and powerful path that would help an individual to mount the self realization and realization of God. Devotion and love is the route to the complete realization of non-dual reality of the infinite existence of God. Bhakti marga means the route of devotion in Sanskrit. The union of the devotee with God by means of extreme devotion is termed as bhakti yoga in Sanskrit.Yet the style of devotion and the nature of the devotee’s relationship to God may vary a great deal, depending on the manifestation of the divine being (god or goddess) that is being invoked. Hymn to Agni is a Sruti. Sruti is the poem that is heard by rishis. Smrti explain the hidden meanings of Sruti. All these constitute Vedas that were written during the commencement of Kali yuga (during 3102 BCE) by Ved Vyasa. Vedas were written in Sanskrit. The chapter of Hinduism in the An Anthology of Living Religions by Mary Pat Fisher and Lee W.Bailey includes various passages like Hymn to Agni, Hymn on Creation (from the text of Rig Veda).The book has also included rich passages from Upanishads; What is the World but Spirit (Mundaka Upanishad) and You Are That (Chhandogya Upanishad). The passage ‘Hymn to Agni’ expresses the words of a devotee and also reveals the kind of relationship the devotee maintains with the ‘Agni God’. Devotee adores Agni the god of the sacrifice and the richest source of treasure. The passage says about the popularity of Agni among old poets and new poets. Agni was the diety of their rites and the major source of power.Ancient sages worshipped Agni and considered him as the provider of prosperity, nourishment and happiness. These devotes deemed Agni as the source of their progress and mentioned him as the most glorious and heroic God. According to the devotees Agni brought Devas to earth and hi s presence filled all sides, which goes to Devas. The hymn praises Agni as wise sage, invoker and the one with splendor and marvel. The hymn also says â€Å"Whatever blessing, o Agni, thou givest to the worshipper, that, refulgent One, is thy truth. To thee, Agni, dispeller of night, we come with prayer day by day, offering thee our obeisance.Thee who rulest our holy rite, Protector of Eternal Law, bright, waxing in thy own abode. Like father to son, thou Agni, be easy of access to us, be with us for a life of bliss. † Agni was considered as the chief of the Vedic gods. Agni is the god of fire, the common acceptor of all divine sacrifices (transferring the sacrifice to other Devas). Agni was otherwise deemed as the messenger of the Devas. According to the traditional Hindu worship based on these Vedas, Agni was present in the heart of every individual, and is the vital spark of life. A part of him was believed to be present in all living things.Agni was also considered as the fire or power which consumes food in the stomach of living beings. Agni also consumed the sacrifices that were offered to other gods. Agni was though to be the fire of the sun. It was also considered as the power behind the lightening bolt as well as the smoke column that hold the heavens in their place. Devotees considered Agni was the source of the illumination of stars. Agni was a crucial element in ancient Hindu worship traditions. About two hundred songs in Rig Veda are addressed to none by Agni. Out of the ten books of Rig Veda, eight of them start with the praises (worship) for Agni.Part IIAccording to the passage ‘Hymn to Agni’ devotee has a strong relationship with his God Agni. Devotee recognizes Agni as the source of all power and praises him for the happiness that he gives to him. Here the God is not found to be rewarding the devotee for his sincere worship and praises. The Agni God does not appear to be counting the devotion, reverence and worship of the d evotee. The devotee however is voluntarily praising the Agni God because of his majesty, power and splendor. The devotee is praising Agni God for a natural cause and not because he blessed the devotee personally.Here the Agni God does not seem to recognize and bless this individual devotee. The God is just being admired and worshipped for a common cause. The devotee is also just manifesting the power of Agni, the God and is praising him for his common goodness and not because of his personal love for him. The relationship that the devotee maintains with the Agni God is not personal. Devotee is impressed by the power and splendor of the God and is just acknowledging and praising it. No salvation, redemption or liberation happens here. The God no longer gives any special privilege to the devotee. Agni God just exists in his majesty and does not offer anything special like salvation.Part IIIThe religious outlook mentioned in this devotion hymn is that of an adoration or worship. I do h ave a religious outlook that is based on ‘Faith’ or ‘Trust’ rather than adoration. My religious outlook is somewhat related to this devotion methods as my devotion also includes praising, adoration and worship. However my devotion outlook is least similar to the above explained ‘Agni worsip’ as my devotion is characterized by faith and the salvation and redemption offered by my God.Agni worship is missing faith, salvation and redemption. It just involves blind or baseless adoration that seldom makes the devotee close to the God. The teachings of Hinduism do not exemplify my definition of religion as it lacks the most crucial aspect, faith, which I deem as the backbone of any religion or worship. Moreover, devotees need to have a personal fellowship with God. The relationship of devotee to his God should not be just an adoration, it should instead be a strong personal relation based on faith. References Mary Pat Fisher and Lee W. Bailey (1999) A n Anthology of Living Religions, Prentice Hall.

Great Depression1 essays

Great Depression1 essays Cut wages, growing unemployment, poverty, and suffering were unforgettable experiences during the Great Depression of the thirties. Many people learned to face these hard times with the help of famous sports figures. They gave hope and to many people pride in what they stood for to them. One of these great sports figures who helped Americans was boxer Joe Louis. In 1936 he fought the world champion Max Schmeling and had his first lose. Max Schmeling was a German boxer and the Nazis equated his victory over Joe Louis as a Nazi superiority over American democracy. Once again the two boxers, Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, fought in 1938 and this time Joe Louis won in the first round. This was an enormous lift for Americans. It was a victory for democracy. Joe Louis was also an inspiration to the African American people. He was a famous African American boxer and had beaten a German boxer who was as Hitler believed the perfect race. This gave the African Americans self-respect and pride in who they were. African Americans pointed with pride to athletes like Joe Louis, who was the world heavyweight boxing champion. (Cayton, Perry, Winkler, 764 ) Louis also went on to become a hero for the war effort and gave inspirational speeches. Jesse Owens great accomplishments on the track field made him one of the most famous in history. While on the Ohio State University track team in 1935 he set a world record in the broad jump (26 feet 8 1/4 ). In 1936 he set a new world record in the 100m. dash,(10.2 sec.). In 1936 as a member of the U.S. track team at the Olympic games in Berlin, Jesse Owens won four gold medals and set more new world records. This is an important moral buster to the American people, white and black, because once again it showed Nazis were not a superior race. An African American man had won four gold medals. This was humiliating and...

Why We Selfie -- the Sociological Perspective

Why We Selfie the Sociological Perspective In March  2014,  Pew Research Center  announced that  over a quarter of Americans have shared a selfie online. Unsurprisingly, the practice of photographing oneself and sharing that image via social media  is most common among Millennials, aged 18 to 33 at the time of the survey: more than one in two has shared  a selfie. So have nearly a quarter of those classified as Generation X (loosely defined as those born between 1960 and the early 1980s). The selfie has gone mainstream. Evidence of its mainstream nature is seen in other aspects of our culture too. In 2013 selfie was not only added to the Oxford English Dictionary  but  also  named Word of the Year. Since late January  2014, the music video for #Selfie by The Chainsmokers has been viewed on YouTube over 250 million times. Though recently canceled, a network television show focused on a fame-seeking and image conscious woman  titled Selfie debuted in the fall of 2014. And, the reigning queen of the selfie, Kim Kardashian West, debuted in 2015  a collection of selfies in book form,  Selfish. Yet, despite the ubiquity of the practice and how many of us are doing it (1 in 4 Americans!), a pretense of taboo and disdain surrounds it. An  assumption that sharing selfies is or should be embarrassing runs throughout  the  journalistic and scholarly coverage on the topic. Many  report on the practice  by noting the percentage of those who admit to sharing them. Descriptors like vain and narcissistic inevitably become a part of any conversation about selfies. Qualifiers like special occasion,  beautiful location, and ironic are used to justify them. But, over a quarter of all Americans are doing it, and more than half of those between the ages of 18 and 33 do it. Why? Commonly cited  reasons vanity, narcissism, fame-seeking are as shallow as those who critique the practice suggest it is. From  the sociological perspective,  there is always more to a mainstream cultural practice than meets the eye.  Lets use it  to dig deeper into the question of why we selfie. Technology Compels Us Simply put, physical and digital technology makes it possible, so we do it. The idea that technology structures the social world and our lives is a sociological argument as old as Marx, and one oft repeated by theorists and researchers who have tracked the evolution of communication technologies over time. The selfie is not a new form of expression. Artists have created self-portraits for millennia,  from cave to classical paintings, to early photography and modern art. Whats new about todays selfie  is its commonplace nature  and  its ubiquity. Technological advancement  liberated the self-portrait  from  the art world and gave  it to the masses. Some would say that those  physical and digital technologies  that allow  for the selfie act  upon us  as a form of technological rationality, a term coined by critical theorist Herbert Marcuse in his book  One-Dimensional Man. They exert a rationality of their own which shapes how we live our lives.  Digital photography, front-facing cameras, social media platforms, and wireless communications begat a host of expectations and norms which now infuse our culture. We can, and so we do. But also, we do because both the technology and our culture expect  us to. Identity Work Has Gone Digital We are not isolated beings living strictly individual lives.  We are social beings who  live in societies, and as such, our lives are fundamentally shaped by social relations with other people, institutions, and social structures. As photos meant to be shared, selfies are not individual acts; they are social acts. Selfies, and our presence on social media generally, is a part of what sociologists David Snow and Leon Anderson describe as identity work the work that we do on a daily basis to ensure that we are seen by others as we wish to be seen. Far from a strictly innate or internal process, the crafting and expressing of identity has long been understood by sociologists as a social process. The selfies we take and share are designed to present a particular image of us, and thus, to shape the impression of us held by others. Famed sociologist Erving Goffman  described the process of impression management in his book  The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. This term refers to the idea that we have a notion of  what others expect of us, or what others would consider a good impression of us, and that this shapes how we present ourselves. Early American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley described the process of crafting a self based on what we imagine others will think of us as the looking-glass self, whereby society acts as a sort of mirror to which we hold ourselves up. In the  digital age, our lives are increasingly projected onto, framed by, and  filtered  and lived through social media. It makes sense, then, that identity work takes place in this sphere. We engage in identity work as we walk through our neighborhoods, schools, and places of employment. We do it in how we dress and style ourselves; in how we walk, talk, and carry our bodies.  We do it on the phone and  in written form. And now, we do it in email, via text message, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and LinkedIn. A self-portrait is the most obvious visual form of identity work, and its socially mediated form, the selfie, is now a common, perhaps even necessary form of that work. The Meme Compels Us In his book, The Selfish Gene,  evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins offered a definition of the meme that became deeply important to cultural studies, media studies, and sociology. Dawkins described the meme as a cultural object or entity that encourages its own replication. It can take musical form, be seen in styles of dance,  and manifest as fashion trends and art, among many other things. Memes abound on the internet today, often humorous in tone, but with increasing presence, and thus  importance, as a form of communication. In the pictorial forms that fill our Facebook and Twitter feeds, memes pack a powerful communicative punch with a combination of repetitious  imagery and phrases. They are densely laden with symbolic meaning. As such, they compel their replication;  for, if they were meaningless, if they had no cultural currency, they would never become a meme. In this sense, the selfie is very much a meme. It has become a normative thing that we do that results in a patterned and repetitious way  of representing ourselves. The exact style of representation may vary (sexy, sulky, serious, silly, ironic, drunk, epic,  etc.), but the form and general content an image of a person or group of people who fill the frame,  taken at arms length remain  the same. The cultural constructs that we have collectively created shape how we live our lives, how we express ourselves, and who we are to others. The selfie, as a meme, is a cultural construct and a form of communication now  deeply infused into our daily lives  and loaded with meaning and social significance.

Principles of research and evidence based practice Essay

Principles of research and evidence based practice - Essay Example The focus in this paper is on evidence-based practice in the nursing field that has gained a lot of momentum and the definitions vary. The findings of research, clinical knowledge, knowledge gathered from science, and all the medical expert opinions fall under what many in the field call "evidence" although practices that are based on research findings always tend to result in the required patient outcomes in different settings the geographic locations notwithstanding. According to Schofield, the impetus and desire for this evidence-based practice in matters nursing comes from healthcare practitioners, readily available medical information. Evidence-based practice requires changes in nursing education and other aspects like practice-relevant kind of research, and closer working relationships among all the concerned groups, that is, researchers and clinicians. Evidence-based practice does provide many opportunities for the whole concept of nursing care to be a bit more effective, indi vidualized, dynamic and streamlined. This, nevertheless, helps in minimizing the effects of the clinical judgments. In incidences where evidence is used to define some of the best practices rather than just supporting the existing practices, the profession of nursing care manages to keep pace with some of the latest technological advancements and also takes advantage, in many ways, of new medical research findings and knowledge developments. The different types of evidences vary on the basis of the fact that they are normally from different sources. This evidence based practices, often abbreviated as EBP, basically aims at applying the best valid and reliable evidence  which has been gained by use of scientific method  to making clinical  decisions. This evidence for practice is extremely important in the sense that it seeks to help in assessing the strength and validity of evidence of the benefits and risks of  treatment, or even lack of it and medical diagnostic tests. It helps clinicians to learn and be in a position to know whether given treatments plan will do more harm or good. According to Margolis (1999, pg. 135,) the evidence’s quality can be accessed on the basis of the type of source, that is, from  those clinical tests that are controlled and trials, systematic and analytical reviews of  the double-blind variety, and not forgetting other aspects like conventional wisdom. This can also be based on other factors like clinical relevance, validity of the statistics, and currency. According to Ehrenberg (2003, pg 281,) evidence based practice recognizes the fact that most of the aspects of medical and health care depend on very particular and individual factors like quality or   life value judgments, and this are normally subject to scientific research methods. This evidence based practice , however, attempts to clarify those medical activities and practice parts that are principle and part of the scientific methods and applying tho se methods in ensuring that best  prediction of expected outcomes in treatment of medical illnesses , even as the raging debate on what desirable outcomes should be (Ramstadius,1997,pg. 5). The research process is well known by most of the researchers in the medical field. Those involved in the carrying out of research in evidence based practice, if the current research finding are anything to go by, are well versed with the scientific research process. The systematic process that characterises research has to be strictly adhered to whenever those who intend to do any kind of medical researching .This ensures that the findings and data that is collected