Jc Penny Essay

This is not the first time that this company has been faced with adversity. The first time was in the 1960’s when shopping went from downtown locations to more uptown locations in malls. The company transitioned to mall locations to cope with the change. This time the change did not come easy to the company. In fact this change has cost the company millions. This time JC Penney’s was faced with a challenge that they wanted to change. They wanted to transition the public’s perception of them. They no longer wanted to be viewed as an old fashioned department store. The company no longer wanted sales or clearance racks. They wanted to change the whole retail climate. They called it fair and square pricing (Baskin, 2013). This came off a lot like Wal-Mart’s always low prices campaign. This sounds like a great idea to me. However, it failed for many reasons. The main reason because it was confusing to consumers. While the other main reason being poor marketing. Many people sat in anticipation of this new campaign by JCPenney’s. There were just as many supporters in the beginning as well. When I heard of this I thought of an upscale Wal-Mart. Low prices I do not have to shop for sales anymore because these should be low prices every day. However, very shortly after this I found myself not shopping there at all. Consumers want a deal, and they do not feel that deal when they shop there anymore. It is the thrill of the hunt for consumers. Not only that but the sales ad and clearance racks used to change. They are no longer changing prices so there is no need to go daily, weekly, or even monthly. Customers may check there as a way to show case, but they are not buying. Without the sales and without the sale advertisements the company is not bringing in nearly the amount of people that were coming into the store to score the best deal. Next the advertisements they are sending out are worded poorly. They are no longer doing sales but they do mail out what they called month long value. Customers did not understand the wording of it. It was never broken down for them. Ideally they had sales, but they were not called the standard name. Therefore, customers missed out on them and they were not bringing in the clientele like a â€Å"sale† probably would have. They were not able to embrace JC Penney’s new tactic. Another problem with this campaign is that the average consumer does not know what the clothing costs. Therefore they think it should be or could be marked down. They have no idea if they were getting a good deal or not. Again the thrill of the hunt is gone, and still makes the customers confused. It was confusing to customers and that means there is a problem in marketing. When a place makes changes that could potentially be confusing marketing is the key. However, there advertisements were so irreverent that they made even less sense to begin with. They came up with a campaign after their numbers dropped called â€Å"do the math. † It was supposed to show how much easier it is to just get a low price in the beginning rather than use a coupon. This action failed for the company. The CEO Ron Johnson came out and reported later that â€Å"it was confusing† to some of their consumers (Baskin, 2013). It’s no wonder that they lost customers. They did not target other competitors about their prices just what the company was trying to do. Last but not least they attempted to open little stores inside their stores. It was a Martha Stewart collection like IKEA. Even that failed because Martha Stewart was not able to put her name on it, because she was still in litigation over her brand. So, it was still branded as JC Penney’s. Not that the name would have made much difference, but it was not thoroughly hought out within the company. Also, this is not a new tactic stores have been doing this for years. The renovation of the stores to add in this small store was costly. It has cost the company millions of dollars. It has depleted their cash, and has also caused their credit rating to drop (Baskin, 2013). This was a costly decision to make when sale s were already down. Here is the largest problem that they had they wanted become a high end store in a low end economy. If I were the CEO of JC Penney I would make quite a few changes. My first change would have been to go back to traditional wording for now. These are the words that customers are the most familiar with. I understand that some companies like to do all their changes at once because it is cheaper. However, when you are changing familiar terms it is wise to do it slowly. Or at least explain it as thoroughly as possible. Change is needed as a society, but no one likes change, because of this I feel that they should be done slowly and over a period of time. I would also have changed the price tags on their merchandise. In order to make someone feel like they are getting a deal I would change how they were priced. I would put a suggested retail price and then put â€Å"our† price on the label. This would appear to customers that they were getting a deal. Sales are because the prices are higher than what they need to be. The advertising is all about â€Å"trickery† to pull people in. In reality they were still doing sales but they were not called sales, and people did not buy into it. By changing the price tags on the items the customers are still getting the thrill of the buy. They can see what their item is going for at their competitor’s location, and impulse buy. This helps eliminate â€Å"showroom† shopping. Or leaving to check their prices somewhere else. If it is a matter of a few dollars they will not go back to purchase. However, if they can see the deal they will buy. Instead of focusing on expanding a business inside of an already expanding business I would have spent the money elsewhere. Imagine if they could have established new rules for buyers. Gone back to JC Penney’s original roots and prove their claims. It could have created new financing and lay-away policies that communicated value, and used social media to create meaningful communities of consumers who wanted to track and participate in conversations about prices. Employees could have been recruited and trained to offer a fundamentally new customer experience based on integrity. They could have changed the way Americans shop and feel they should stop. I would not have wasted money on an advertisement that was bewildering. I would have spent money marketing on calling competitors out on their prices. Sharing the news on how Penney’s was changing. How they were forward looking. Instead of making confusing ads with no sales just to avoid the word sale I wouldn’t have tried to stay away from it. Since they were still doing sales but not doing sales on certain items. Limiting the sales options were not the problem the problem was using unfamiliar wording. Measuring some of these techniques could be hard to do. Going back to traditional wording would be one way that is hard to track. However, I believe it would go hand in hand with how you would track the new price tags. That would be sales. With these new changes and advertisements I would think that sales would increase. I would not look at the actual accounting book but do a twelve month comparison on the sales on each individual store. This is time consuming and costly but I think it is the only way to see how each store is doing in comparison to how they were doing the previous month and year. During high sale times I would make sure I would have as much staff as possible on the floor to assist our customers. Maybe they do not need help but a casual conversation can lead into why they came into this department store and not the one across the way. Along with this I would like to institute team meetings once a week where department heads meet with their front line employees on all shifts. To find out their ideas and where they are hearing concerns are. Then I would have them write them up and do a teleconference with each store head to hear these ideas, questions, or concerns. I feel this is an open door policy. I would also include suggestion boxes not only in the store, but in the break room for employees so they could bring these up anonymously if they felt the need to. Also, I would work on getting the contact information to employees for everyone in charge. Change can happen and many great ideas come from the front line, because they see and do it every day. However, their voices are not often heard. To measure the effectiveness of advertising I would do a few things. I would add a survey at the end of their receipt to figure out what they thought about the advertisement. I would also add a quick questionnaire in the store that the customer could fill out. I would also make it known that there is a number they can call at any time with questions. I would make it so that they could be heard with questions and concerns. Before I launched a campaign I would have a test market so that we could see what people could recall from the add, as well as find out if there was any confusion on what may have been advertised. The sales would play a large part also in whether it was an effective campaign. A company that has been operating for 100 years is struggling. JC Penney ’s was once a fashion icon to children, young adults, and teens. Beginning in 1913 it currently operates over 1000 stores. Growing up my sister and I waited to go through their catalogue. However, in the last few years something has changed. The company didn’t look far enough ahead to the future to predict these changes. They tried to become a higher end boutique like store in an economy that could not support it. Poor marketing and too many changes has made this one booming store one of the top ten stores that are predicted to be out of business in the next year. Works Cited Baskin, J. (2013, January 2). Lessons From JC Penney’s Doomed Marketing Makeover. Retrieved May 12, 2013 , from Forbes: http://www. forbes. com/sites/jonathansalembaskin/2013/01/02/lessons-from-j-c-penneys-doomed-marketing-makeover/ Tuttle, B. (2012, June 19). More Troubles for JCPenney: Top Executive Departs Amid Sales Slump. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from Time Magazine: http://business. time. com/2012/06/19/more-troubles-for-jcpenney-top-executive-departs-amid-sales-slump/

Under the Bridge Song Analysis

15 April 2010 Essay 2: Poetry â€Å"Under The Bridge† Under the bridge is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers, written by vocalist Anthony Kiedis. Keidis reference to â€Å"bridge†Kiedis use of imagery in the lyrics to this song communicate a dark time in his life but also as a listener we can relate with a difficult time in our own life. The symbolism used by Kiedis in reference to his feeling of solitude and long battle with drug addiction. Rhyme and rhythm are two of the main features in this song.The rhythm affects the whole mood, tone and meaning of the song. The melancholy can be felt in the first stanza, â€Å"Lonely as I am together we cry. † Kiedis has chosen different methods to give the song specific sounds that affect the pace and structure of the rhythm. The speed of the song begins quite slow not too intense but slowly the tempo picks up as he describes, â€Å"I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day. † The feelings of loss bring him to depression and remind him of his struggles with drug abuse.The reference in the third stanza â€Å"take me to the place I love take me all that way† can suggests that Kiedis is taken back to the feeling of being high on drugs. Metaphorically he is attempting to overcome drug addiction but can’t help loving the feeling he gets when he is high. â€Å"The loneliness that I was feeling triggered memories of my time with Ione and how I'd had this beautiful angel of a girl who was willing to give me all of her love, and instead of embracing that, I was downtown with gangsters shooting speedballs under a bridge. (Kiedis 204) Kiedis memory of such a time stimulated his response of loneliness as he is doing so in song to his listeners. Drawing back from the people he was once so close with gave him an overwhelming feeling of loneliness and solitude, as he described, â€Å"Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner sometimes I feel like my only friend like my only friend is the city I live in the city of Angels† (Peppers) The descriptions of the city being his only stronghold during this difficult ime are realized in his city of Los Angeles which he feels would never leave him alone as some of his relationships at that time. The city is stable, and he is able to depend on her being there to support him. He refers to the city as his â€Å"companion†, and he does not have to hide from her because she already knows his deepest secrets but has yet to abandon him. It's interesting to see the different interpretations to this song, but I do believe Kiedis was clearly recounting his drug addiction in a very personal yet abstract manner.Revealing the solitude one has to endure when they find themselves in such a state. My understanding of the song shows the contemplation, withdrawal, and the acceptance of taking a dark path in life. Literature can be subtle or obvious, used carefully or carelessly. The repetition of the third stanza signifies mea ning and creates a strong sonic effect to the listener. Kiedis use of this can be found in the chorus, â€Å"I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day take me to the place I love take me all the way. (Peppers) The text states, â€Å"We all hear sounds differently depending on the meaning and context. † (Beiderwell 522) The feeling this song gives me may be totally different that it may give someone who has experienced an addiction or feeling of despair. In general, the lyrics deals with particular things in concrete language, since our emotions most readily respond to his emotion and expressions. From Kiedis particular situation, the listener may then generalize by implication from the particular. â€Å"She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy and I never worry now that is a lie. (Peppers) The use of personification occurs here when he describes inanimate objects as human that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings. He is not literally speaking of a p erson but showing his connection with the city he loves so much, as the only person he feels loved by. Images suggest meanings beyond the mere identity of the specific object. (Purdue) Poetry â€Å"plays† with meaning when it identifies resemblances or makes comparisons between things, such as the Los Angeles being his only friend.In the last stanza, â€Å"Under the bridge downtown is where I drew some blood under the bridge I could not get enough under the bridge forgot about my love under the bridge I gave my life away† (Peppers) Kiedis is recounting a low point in his life where he feels he surrendered his life to this addiction to drugs. This use of imagery is most valuable as a mode of perception that assists the listener to see around and to see the often conflicting interpretations that come from our examination of life.In other words his message is most certainly concrete and particular it's implied by the images of him under this bridge drawing blood which is what heroin addicts do. Works Cited Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. â€Å"The Literary Experience. † Beiderwell, Bruce and Jeffrey M. Wheeler. The Literary Experience. Boston: Thomson Higher Education, 2008. 217-229. Kiedis, Anthony. Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Peppers, Red Hot Chili. â€Å"Under The Bridge. † Blood Sugar Sex Magik. cond. Anthony Keidis. By Anthony Keidis. Los Angeles, 1992. Purdue, Owl. Owl Purdue. 21 April 2010. 07 April 2010 .

Managerial Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managerial Economics - Assignment Example 4) the content of MBA programs available in colleges or universities in the Kansas City area (With my limited resources and time, are there MBA programs that can take me in?). Q2: I bought an iPod, a tube of toothpaste and a branded pair of shoes. Elasticity measures the change in demand with a change in price. I bought the iPod (as did four friends) because prices went down, so the demand for iPods is elastic. I bought toothpaste because I ran out of it, even if the price went up by a few cents, so demand is perfectly inelastic because I had no choice unless I wanted my social life to suffer. I bought the shoes because I liked the brand, so this purchase is relatively inelastic. I bought it as the price seemed just right. These reasons – price discount, need and brand desire – made demand elastic (iPod) or inelastic (toothpaste and shoes). Q3: Price discrimination is the practice of charging customers different prices for the same product because of factors like capacity to pay, geography or order size. Some universities practice price discrimination with financial aid, allowing them to charge rich kids higher fees and extending scholarships or tuition discounts to students from poorer families. If a theater showing Avatar charges less if they watch before 6:00 p.m., then it practices price discrimination to encourage more viewers on off-peak hours. Would I watch before 6:00 p.m.? It would depend on whether I am available, how much I can save, and what entertainment substitutes there are. The benefits of the lower price must be equal to or exceed the costs of my availing it. 1. List four factors that affect the demand for MBA degrees in the greater Kansas city area and How those factors affect the demand for MBA. Not that I am not asking about company hiring a person who has a MBA degree, I am asking about a person like you who is pursing a MBA degree. 2. List three things you purchased in past two weeks and tell whether your demand for goods or

Who is jack the ripper Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Who is jack the ripper - Research Paper Example This fear was further aggravated due to social and economic conditions of the-then London. With over two hundred individual considered as suspects, this serial murderer mystery remained unresolved even after a century which has given it an outlook of most fearful murders of all times. The murders begin in 1888 in East London which was flooded with Jews and Russian migrants trying hard to make a better living. The place was even a hub of many brothels and sex-rental houses, where reaching a woman was not an issue. Murders of prostitutes and sex-servers was not an astonishing news for many at that time since these prostitutes were at the mercy of clients, owners of the brothels and even the gangsters. Constant tortures, physical attacks, and murders were part and parcel of prostitution industry. Even discussing these subjects was considered inappropriate in the civilized part of London. However, a wave of fear captivated London where a similar pattern accompanied by threatening and rather mocking letters was identified by London Police and Scotland Yard. These methods of conducting murders bear striking resemblance giving it a profile of serial killing and the letters received further assured that there is a murderer in town, with notorious intentions for women. Although Jack the Ripper only committed five murders which only lasted for three months, the question arises what makes him stand out when the history is full of serial killers with much brutal methods of murdering. Careful analysis would reveal that there are various elements that added to the mystery and made it eternal. Historical analysis of the print media would show that it was mainly the newspaper which added fury to the living conditions of East London. East London, itself was full of low-life residents with economic depravity, living in violent neighborhoods where disease was common. What gave Ripper a menacing outlook was the intensive reporting by

Answer two question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Answer two question - Essay Example In the pursuit of the church to bring back to the faith in Christianity, the religious institution has hired artists to create artworks that are filled with intense emotions. This can be seen on how one of the premier painters, Michelangelo Caravaggio used diagonal lines and painterly techniques, especially the chiaroscuro, to provide depth, emotions and sensuality in his paintings. One of the noticeable paintings is the Supper at Emmaus. In this case, there is a realistic portrayal of the narrative of the last supper, which is a clear diversion from the traditional linear perspective presentation. In the paintings, it can be seen that the image is taken as a complete whole. If one of the elements is taken away, it loses it the essence. Another common property of these artworks is to extend the artworks confinement beyond the canvas. This can be seen also in the way sculpture and architecture interacted to convey the intensity of emotions that totally redefined views on art. Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s work Esctasy of St. Theresa is one the groundbreaking artworks of the said period that shows a religious subject matter that was conveyed in a highly emotional composition. In this sculpture, the light shows the angel’s role as messenger by carrying an arrow to be used as a piercer for St. Theresa’s heart. Inasmuch, the suspended emotions of St. Theresa, in a state of ecstasy creates awe because of her reclining form and expression of an intense emotion as a response to the angel’s gestures. At the same time, the sculpture interacts with the architecture because it can be seen as an altar. It can be seen that flow or movement present in the artworks, together with the way they are situated posits intense emotionality. The traditional, religious images (having halos and other divine attributes) have been converted into

Nursing as a Profession Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing as a Profession - Research Paper Example The question of whether nursing constitutes a profession or merely an occupation has been debated frequently but never conclusively answered, owing to the subjective interpretation of word connotations as well as a lack of consensus as to what profession entails. The Random House dictionary defines a profession as â€Å"a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science.† L. Harvey (2004) says that â€Å"A profession is a group of people in a learned occupation, the members of which agree to abide by specified rules of conduct when practicing the profession.† Over the years, several researchers have developed specific criteria regarding professions. This paper will focus on the eight criteria established by Dr. Lucie Kelly in 1981, and examine nursing in relation to those criteria. Kelly's Criteria for Professions 1) The services provided are vital to humanity and the welfare of society. 2) There is a special body of knowledge that is continually enlarged through research. 3) The services involve intellectual activities; individual responsibility (accountability) is a strong feature. 4) Practitioners are educated in institutions of higher learning. 5) Practitioners are relatively independent and control their own policies and activities (autonomy). 6) Practitioners are motivated by service (altruism) and consider their work an important component of their lives. 7) There is a code of ethics to guide the decisions and conduct of practitioners 8) There is an organization (association) that encourage and supports high standards of practice. (Chitty citing Kelly, 2005, p. 171) The first four of Kelly's eight criteria are easily addressed, as there can be no doubt of the vital nature of the services provided by nurses, who are frequently referred to in literature as â€Å"the backbone of the healthcare system.† It also cannot be disputed that there exists a large and continually expanding body of knowledge related to nursing. There is a great deal of personal accountability involved in nursing as well. Each day nurses world-wide make decisions within a professional context which have a significant impact on the lives of their patients, as well as colleagues and even administrators. Nurses are required to undergo profession-specific education, as well as to maintain awareness of current research in the field in order to perform their jobs effectively. Likewise, nursing can easily be demonstrated to meet the seventh and eighth of Kelly's criteria. The Code of Ethics for Nurses is well established, and there are several national organizations devoted to maintaining high standards for nurse accreditation, as well as an International Council of Nurses. Autonomy of nurses might be questioned: Do nurses control their own policies and activities? While it is clear that a nurse must make decisions on a daily basis and act on those decisions, nurses are subjected to policies within the confines of their employing institutions. Though nurses frequently execute the orders of doctors, the manner of execution is usually left to individual nurses. Thus, in the opinion of this researcher nursing meets the fifth of Kelly's criteria. The question of motivation is a thornier one. While many individuals choose to enter nursing for altruistic reasons, it seems unreasonable to expect that all nurses share that particular motivation. Ther e is a shortage of nurses world-wide, no doubt leading to many individuals choose this career path because it will provide a secure and reliable source of income. Nurses trained in an accredited program can always find

Walmarts Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Walmarts Ethics - Essay Example Walmart is indeed a large organization with thousands of stores in the US and other parts of the world as well. It has employed millions of employees and hence increasing its fame. However, in a bid to maintain its leading retail position, Walmart has had to engage in unethical buyer power where those suffering are its employees, the suppliers as well as other businesses which Walmart has taken businesses from in a bid to continue with its reputation for lower prices. The employees’ medical benefits among other benefits are not offered to all employees even though they work excess hours without much compensation which is an indication of Walmart’s injustice and unfairness to their hard working employees. When the business continues to lower its prices and reduce the purchasing power of the suppliers in a bid to make more profit, it goes against the ethical principle of beneficence and makes small businesses close and moves the business from Americans. This is an indicat ion therefore that when Walmart uses its buyer power and reduces prices; it only benefits its stockholders but harms the rest of the people. If Walmart is to be ethical in using its buying power to reduce its prices, the profits from the reduced prices in their numerous stores would lead to the stores engaging in non-maleficence and more beneficence. It would also be fairer to the suppliers by compensating them for their efforts as well as exercising justice in the workplace about employee’s benefits and be truthful about it.

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race Essay

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race - Essay Example The political leaders in America are at the front line. They are weighed in terms of their political cultures and their takes on racisms as a contentious topic in America. President Obama is no different since racism was among the important aspects that featured during his campaign for presidency. This essay seeks to discuss why president Obama was right to call for a nationwide conversation on race. After Trayvon martin’s fatal death, America witnessed a wave of nationwide demonstrations that pervade the whole country to the Whitehouse. The president in his heartfelt and spontaneous words about the race relations in America featured on the need for everyone to participate in a nationwide debate on race. The president however reiterated that it was not the right time for the politicians to take blame but help initiative this national conversation (Gerson). For this position, the president was right that the issue of racism should be discussed by all the American citizens. This is because all the citizens have a huge role to play in the democratic institutions of America. It is in line with this thought that this dialogue on race will influence other issues affecting the poor communities in America. These include public policy and democracy. This conversation should be contrasted to Clinton’s ideas which bore no fruits. The conversation should be objective driven and purposeful. It should be seeking to find an agenda of democratic transformation that pervades the whole country from a national, state and local level. In the conversation every individual from all walks of life should participate. The leaders are the community leaders, activists and civil rights organizers who would put the framework. These leaders need to have the express purpose of developing public policy solutions. These are issues that affect the employment, public education, healthcare, criminal justice and general life chance in the United States of America. This is in relation to the many decades back where numerous efforts of civil rights activists empowered the whole country to start a conversation on racisms. Clearly, this was a success since all the races in America participated in the conversation to come up with a solution that synthesized all these races into one. This conversation was not simply on racisms but also focused in reforming democracy. Every member of the American society participated in this conversation many decades ago. These include prisoners, politicians, welfare mothers, religious leaders and labour activists. The early conversation involved many aspects including street protests that were often complemented by crisis legislations. The notion for a National Conversation on Race Day is stirred by the joint engagement and action of these people, several of whom turned out in multitudes for the August 28, 1963, Walk on Washington for freedom and Jobs. This walk brought together disparate political ideas into a great and unifying cal l for economic equality, racial justice and multicultural democracy. It was through this event that the cultural, social and political awareness of racial injustice were galvanized. This led to the transformation of public policy guidelines in America to accommodate all races. These were affected through the voting rights act of 1965 and the civil rights act of 1964. This march has reached its 50th

Ancient goddesses of the middle east Research Paper

Ancient goddesses of the middle east - Research Paper Example In most cases, these civilizations have left behind a great deal of artifacts that suggest the types of religions they practiced, most being of a polytheistic or multi-god format, as well as evidence of what these gods and goddesses represented. Today, the region is more often associated with the advent of Christianity and the concept of a one-god religion, so it is interesting to note the polytheistic tendencies and perhaps examine some of the more specific details of these tendencies to determine how or why the transition was made to a male-dominated religious tradition that would span more than 2000 years. Was it a reaction to an overly powerful, highly restrictive goddess cult? As a means of trying to isolate this grander question, it would be helpful to have some understanding of the greater goddesses of the Mesopotamian region, their powers and their development over time to determine whether the legends provide any support for the Great Goddess legend. Many people assume that the earliest civilizations worshipped a Great Goddess. She was a solitary figure that gave birth to all life on Earth and was responsible for everything on it – much like the God or Allah of the modern day. Evidence for her existence is found in a number of things such as the statuary that has been discovered and some of the myths that have been passed down. Decorative art in societies such as the ancient Minoans indicate women holding high places in society (Goodison & Morris, 1998). It is assumed that a society worshipping a Great Goddess such as this would be organized according to matrilineal lines with the female gender holding much of the power. â€Å"That at least some of the peoples †¦ new-comers encountered were matriarchal and Goddess-worshipping was accepted by even such hard-headed (and influential) archaeologists as V. Gordon

Risk and Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Risk and Risk Management - Essay Example Therefore, a more appropriate term would be country risk management, a practice of which country risk assessment is but one element. Country risk, for the international banker, is the potential for a loss of the assets a bank has loaned across borders in a foreign currency. A loss could be caused by a multitude of factors that renders a borrower unable to service or repay the loan as per the agreement. (Also at risk may be physical assets such as branch offices of multinational banks, but that issue is not discussed here.) The borrower may be a sovereign nation, a local firm, or a multinational corporation of another country. Whatever the case, the loan is papered according to the country of risk, that is, the country from which the repayments will flow (Angelini, Maresca, Russo, 2004:855). Country risk assessment entails the identification; a qualitative and quantitative analysis and measurement of the political, economic, social, and natural conditions in the country in which the borrower operates; and the degree to which these exogenous factors can impinge on the borrower's capacity to conform to the terms of the loan agreement. The risks to be considered are those over which private companies or individual borrowers have no control. Examples of country risk by their broad categories are the following: Political events --history and probability of confiscation or expropriation of the assets of the borrower, occupation by a foreign power, civil disorder, ideological conflicts (often closely linked with religious differences), changes in government (both planned and peremptory), regionalism and tribalism in terms of the internal balance of power, inequitable distribution of income related to ethnic rivalries, unwillingness of a government to honor its obligations, changes in policy that affect the borrower's cash flow, and terrorism Social event --history and probability of civil war, riots, labor union strife, religious conflict, and socioeconomic differences in living standards that result in tension or instability Economic conditions --possibilities of recession, extent of diversification of the economy, attitude toward strikes, effects of increases in the cost of imported inputs and foodstuffs, degree of reliance on a few key exports and the effects of a decline in the worldwide prices of those exports, background of policies and development strategies, taxes on local earnings, restrictions on the transfer of remittances out of the country, devaluation or depreciation of the exchange rate and other capital controls, degree of intervention by the state in fixing prices for inputs and outputs, and frequency of intervention of the government in the money market and the ceilings on interest rates Natural disasters --frequency of droughts, floods, earthquakes, and epidemics and the possibility of famines or wide-scale reduction in the productive capacity of the country as a result; the attitude and the most likely policies of the government

Dantes Inferno Essay Example for Free

Dantes Inferno Essay On the evening of Good Friday in the year 1300, Dante is travelling through a forest, when he gets lost. In the morning, he finds a mountain and tries to climb it, but is stopped by a lion, a wolf, and a leopard. The spirit of the poet Virgil appears and offers to take him to the top of the mountain to Heaven when his love, Beatrice, is, but the way first leads through Hell. Virgil and Dante enter through the gates of Hell and see a crowd of people along the banks of the river. Virgil tells Dante these are the souls who neither sinned nor worshipped God, and are therefore rejected by both Heaven and Hell. Charon takes them across the river. The Second Circle is guarded by Minos and is the first of four rings in which souls are punished. In the Second Circle, the souls of the lustful are blown about by never-ending winds. In the Third Circle, the souls of the gluttons are soaked by heavy rain and clawed by the three-headed dog, Cerberus. Continuing downwards, they meet the entrance to the Fourth Circle, which holds the greedy. These souls must charge at each other with boulders repeatedly. Virgil and Dante next proceed to f the city of Dis. Dis is a city within the larger region of Hell, however the demon guards refuse to open the gates. A messenger arrives from Heaven to force the gates open for Dante and Virgil. The Sixth Circle of Hell holds the Heretics, and in this circle that Dante encounters Farinata, a rival political leader. A deep valley leads into the First Ring of the Seventh Circle of Hell, where there are three inner rings. The first is where those who were violent toward others spend eternity in a river of boiling blood. The second ring is for those who were violent toward themselves, and the third ring is for those who were violent toward God. The monster Geryon transports Virgil and Dante across a great abyss to the Eighth Circle of Hell, known as Malebolge, Here, there are also many layers. The first is for the panderers and seducers, who receive lashings from whips. The second is where the flatterers must lie in a river of human feces. The simoniacs in the third layer hang upside down in baptismal fonts while their feet burn with fire. The fourth layer is for the astrologists and diviners, who are forced to walk with their heads on backward. In the fifth layer, those who have accepted bribes are torn apart by demons. In the sixth layer, the hypocrites must walk in circles for eternity while wearing robes of lead. In the seventh layer, thieves sit in a pit of vipers and turn to vipers when bitten, and then regain their human form when they bite  another thief. In the eighth layer, Dante speaks to Ulysses who will spend forever with those guilty of Spiritual Theft. In the ninth layer, those of scandal walk in a circle with wounds that open and close repeatedly. In the tenth and final layer, falsifiers suffer from plagues and diseases of all kinds. Through the Giants’ Well, Virgil and Dante proceed to the Ninth Circle of Hell, which leads to a great frozen lake named Cocytus. Virgil and Dante are picked up and placed in the lowest region of Hell by the giant Antaeus. Like the previous Circles, the Ninth Circle of Hell also contains numerous different inner Rings. In the First Ring, those who betrayed their kin stand frozen to their necks in the lake. In the Second Ring, those who betrayed their country stand frozen to their heads. However, those who betrayed their guest are destined to spend eternity lying on their back in the frozen lake in the Third Ring. In the Fourth and final ring of the Ninth Circle of Hell, an eternity in complete icy submersion is given to those who betrayed their friends. In the center of this circle is the three-headed Lucifer. His body comes from the center of the Earth where he fell when God sent him down from Heaven. In each of Lucifer’s mouths are Judas, Cassius, and Brutus. Virgil instructs Dante to climb down Lucifer, and travel out of Hell and back onto Earth. They return to Earth on Easter morning. Analysis In the first canto, Dante uses the dark forest to express the flaws he saw in the world around him at the time Inferno was written. Also, when Dante encounters the leopard, the lion, and the she-wolf. The leopard represents fraud, the lion represents pride, and the she-wolf represents incontinence. Dante is most affected by the presence of the she-wolf because, while incontinence is the least severe category of sin, it is the one to which he is most susceptible. Christian symbolism is extremely prevalent throughout Inferno, and it is first introduced in the second canto. Hell is not just described as the underworld, but a place where sinners are punished for eternity. In the inscription on the gates into Hell, each part of the Trinity is represented. The â€Å"potency divine† represents God the Father, the â€Å"wisdom supreme† is Christ, and the â€Å"primal love† is the Holy Spirit. Along these same lines, the use of the Trinity is also used in the last canto, when we are  introduced to the three-headed Lucifer. The three heads could represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as well. In the fourth canto, Dante explains that Limbo is for those who have not been baptized, thus addressing one of the great moral problems of Christianity. Baptism is considered necessary to go to Heaven, but it does not seem fair that people who do not know of Christianity should suffer for something they have no control over. Dante takes care of this problem by keeping those who are not Christian in Hell, but giving them a much less painful fate by giving them eternity in Limbo. The timeframe of Dante’s Inferno is extremely relevant in terms of Christianity. Dante begins his journey through Hell on Good Friday and emerges and returns to Earth on Easter day. This means that he was â€Å"dead† for the time period following the crucifixion of Christ, and he has risen with him. To look further into the other religions represented in Inferno, the tower in the city of Dis that Dante refers to is a mosque, to further emphasize that anyone who does not believe in Christianity is a nonbeliever and should be in Hell. It is also interesting to look at the role Dante plays throughout Inferno. Throughout, it is clear that Beatrice has kept a careful eye on Dante’s progress and is prepared to intervene when necessary to ensure that he gets to her. In the first canto, when Dante is lost, Beatrice sends Virgil to guide him, and when Virgil and Dante are not admitted into Dis, Beatrice sent a messenger to let them in. Without Beatrice, Dante would be lost. She is the only reason he has a chance at making it to Heaven. Dante faints and weeps numerous times, further indicating his weakness and his reliance on Beatrice and Virgil. He expresses fear of the wild beasts in the first canto and of many of the other demons in the other circles. These weaknesses emphasize how little he does for himself. He follows the path that is laid out for him by Beatrice and Virgil, and does nothing more than that. In many contexts, Dante is held as a hero, but he is really just relying on others.

Euro Disney Essay Example for Free

Euro Disney Essay Despite a long story of success in the past, Euro Disney failed to anticipate demand accurately for their services. The company failed to recognize the frugality and price consciousness of the European customers which had a direct impact on the spending Patterns of the consumers. They assumed Europeans to follow the same pattern as the Americans however this was not the case hence it suffered huge losses. Cultural differences can lower the impact of a certain service and will lead to lower projected revenues. Euro Disney had visitors from all over Europe which spoke different languages, they shared different culture and history compared to American. It was important to integrate it into the theme park before hand. These differences adversely affected the company; alcohol wasn’t served in the park in a country where wine was a norm with food, inability to realize Europeans peak leisure days and serving them breakfast. A better analysis before hand and a president from the local environment initially would have been more familiar with the local environment would have led to increase in revenue. It was very important to be familiar with the mindset of the people while working with those belonging to different culture in order to maintain smooth working environment. The French unlike the Americans were sensitive and touchy people. To foster good will with them one has to incorporate them in one’s decisions and discussions and not just dominate them because this will infuriate them and alienate them and their support and cooperation. The French don’t like bossy attitude coming towards them hence one should be modest in dealing with them. The Tokyo Disney turned out to be a great success, way more than the expectations. The number of visitors was high with large revues and profits. Japanese were adaptable and flexible lot they welcomed American culture in the theme park from food to entertainment whereas the Europeans were reluctant to adopt the American style initially due to which Disney had to face many problems of cultural diversity in Euro Disney. Euro Disney was located at an ideal place as it was close to Paris, Paris being Europe’s largest tourist destination. The problem was not with the location but with other factors such as skimming pricing strategy for the price sensitive Europeans proved to be a failure, recession in the economy, failure to anticipate demand and cultural differences and apart from these operational inefficiencies and mismanagement. Location would not have made these factors better hence it would not have done better if located anywhere outside Paris too. Mickey Mouse is one of the greatest characters of Walt Disney and has a long history of success with the company. It is an icon of American culture; Mickey Mouse has always been one of the attractions at the Disney theme park. Unlike other American theme parks Euro Disney was criticized among the French for being too American and caused a clash, resentment and low turnover from them as they believed keeping French culture aside American culture was being imposed on them. Hence in order to counter the ethnocentric views Disney had to incorporate the French culture into the American Disney image for the liking of the Europeans. In order to make an impact on the Europeans, Disney was required to make a campaign that would have focused on French names and terminology, such as names of the rides and the restaurant menus, the French wanted their culture opposed to the American as it did not   tune in   with their own. Similarly the European Walt Disney studios should focus on French movies and people as a means of entertainment. It should be positioned as a theme park that as a perfect vacation resort and not the American resort in particular. This positioning can be done by engaging tourist guides, bus drivers and travel agents into the marketing campaign and providing them incentives to promote the promotional campaign of the company. Though Disney entered Europe with high hopes and confidence however it had to face losses due to the many mistakes it made in planning and launching the theme park. One such mistake was the price skimming strategy, Disney expected the demand for its park to be inelastic and hence it could have gained high revenues. However, raising admission prices would have added fuel to the situation because the turnover from the French people was already low, their low spending patterns, frugality, and economic recession would have discouraged people from visiting the park as prices were already considered to be very high and would have lead to further losses for Euro Disney. References Jiffy Notes. (n.d.). EURO DISNEY S.C.A. Retrieved May 21, 2010, from JiffyNotes.com: http://www.jiffynotes.com/a_study_guides/book_notes_add/emmc_0001_0001_0/emmc_0001_0001_0_00102.html

Life And Work Of Edward Lee Thorndike Philosophy Essay

Life And Work Of Edward Lee Thorndike Philosophy Essay Edward Lee Thorndike was an iconic America psychologist that strived during the latter years of the 1800s into the mid 1900s. Edward Thorndike was not just a psychologist but an influential educator, lexicographer and striving educational researcher (State University, 2010). He is often referred to as the founder of educational psychology. Edward Thorndike was born on August 31, 1874 in a small town in Williamsburg, Massachusetts (Joncich, 1968). He was the son of a clergy man Edward Roberts Thorndike and Abigail Brewster Ladd. Thorndike was a successor of a family line that resided in New England since the 1630s (Joncich, 1968). Edward Thorndike was part of a bloodline from a very notable family. A family that consisted of accomplished pioneers that strived for excellence and superiority. As would be anticipated from growing up in a household of a minister, Thorndike was expected to strive for excellence. With having an estimated IQ of nearly 200, Thorndike had no problems succeeding academically (State University, 2010). He was nothing short of a perfect model for the congregation. Scholarships were awarded to Thorndike due to his outstanding grades and academic achievements. Scholarships are what made college possible for him during this uneasy time. In 1891, Thorndike graduated from The Roxbury Latin School which was located in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Following his graduation from The Roxbury Latin School, he attended Wesleyan University where he would begin his college career. He graduated from Wesleyan University in the fall of 1895 with a Bachelor of Science. Soon following his completion of his undergraduate work, he attended Harvard University. During his time at Harvard he worked to achieve yet another undergraduate degree as well as his Masters in Psychology. He graduated with his Masters in Psychology in 1897. It wasnt much time after that he attended Columbia University where he would complete his Doctoral work in Psychology. He completed his doctoral work in Psychology in 1898, merely a year after his completion of his Master Degree from Harvard. (Joncich, 1968) During his time at Columbia University he met a very influential and respectable person know as James Mckeen Cattell. As the next several years progressed, Cattell served as a very influential mentor for Thorndike. With the support of Cattell, Thorndike wrote his 1898 doctoral thesis Animal Intelligence: An Experimental Study of the Associative Processes in Animals (Thorndike, 1898). This groundbreaking thesis is thought to be the foundation of animal behavior but would not be the last of the other many works yet to come by Edward Thorndike. After his graduation from Columbia University in 1898, Thorndike taught at the College for Women of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio (Joncich, 1968). This teaching job did not suit him because he was soon back at Colombia University teaching psychology. This would be the university where Thorndike would remain for the rest of his career and essentially conduct his other famous works in Psychology. Before passing away on August 9, 1949 at the age of 74, Thorndikes achieved many notable accomplishments. During his 55-year career, he published about 500 books and articles on diverse as learning in fish, methods of statistical analysis and the elements of aesthetic quality in urban life. As his continuous research was unfolding he was the President of the American Psychological Association, 2nd President of Psychometric Society and President of American Association for the Advancement of Science. In brief, his notable work includes the study of animal intelligence (cats in the puzzle box regarding Trial and Error), applied animal to human educational experience followed by a constructed scale to measure childrens handwriting and a table of word-frequency in English. (Indiana University, 2007) It is important to note that in order for Edward Thorndike to pursue the field of psychology as well as be successful in this field, he had to go against that of the teachings of the church. It is ironic because as the son of a minister, it would be expected that he would have conformed to that of the congregation. However, he chose to lead his own life and strive for excellence in a field of work that stuck him as interesting. In order for Thorndike to succeed in the field of psychology, he had to break the realm of religion and turn his focus to the laboratory and science. For that time, it was something that was frowned upon especially from the standpoint of a minister. Regardless, Thorndike said that science was, the only sure foundation for social progress (State University, 2010). With that being said and looking back on history, it could easily be perceived how and why his thinking was correct. Through the remainder of this paper, it is essential that we go into greater detail on specific accomplishments that Edward Thorndike achieved. Specifically we will look at connectionism, adult learning and Thorndikes view on education. Although these are only three of the many accomplishments Thorndike had achieved in his time, they are the more influential and greatest impacting on psychology. Essentially, its part of the true legacy of contributions that Edward Thorndike left upon the field of psychology and will continue to leave for many years to come. As mentioned previously Thorndike was a very influential person to the field of psychology which leads me into my first area of concentration which is connectionism. According to a definition provided by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, connectionism is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a movement in cognitive science which hopes to explain human intellectual abilities using artificial neural networks (also known as neural networks or neural nets). Neural networks are simplified models of the brain composed of large numbers of units (the analogs of neurons) together with weights that measure the strength of connections between the units. These weights model the effects of the synapses that link one neuron to another. Experiments on models of this kind have demonstrated an ability to learn such skills as face recognition, reading, and the detection of simple grammatical structure. According to information compiled through research, Thorndike viewed connectionism as through experience neural bond s or connections were formed between perceived stimuli and emitted responses; therefore, intellect facilitated the formation of the neural bonds (Indiana University, 2007). When looking at connectionism in regards to Thorndikes research, it is relatively still a broad topic. To get a better idea of what connectionism and Thorndikes notable contributions are to the field of Psychology, it is essential to focus on his cat puzzle box studies. The puzzle box studies with cats dealt primarily with the ideology behind how cats learned to escape. The cats ability of learning to escape the puzzle box that Thorndike would structure and create a psychological concept known as the law of effect. From the law of effect would later come law of recency and law of exercise which will both be discussed later in greater detail. First it is important to understand the law of effect which is essentially the foundation for the formulation of his other two laws. The law of effect states that responses to a situation that are followed by satisfaction are strengthened; and responses that are followed by discomfort are weakened (Indiana University, 2007). What this definition is saying is that when a situation is presented and is followed by an outcome that is satisfying then that event will be positively associated with that response. This would also lead to believe that this event will later occur again. The effect also works in the opposite sense where if a situation is followed by a non satisfying outcome then the link between the event and the outcome is weakened. This would consequently lead Thorndike to believe that the association was weakened and will most likely not occur in the same degree as an event with a satisfying outcome. In correlation to Thorndikes law of effect arose his law of recency. The law of recency states that a response that happens most recent will act as a model for future events of similar nature. For example if I go to buy a soda at a soda machine located in the building of Old Main and the soda machine fails to vend my drink, I will most likely not return to that soda machine due to my recent experience I had with it. The effect also works the same way in the opposite manner as if I would have received the soda. In essence, I focus my future experiences on my most recent experiences. The final law that Thorndike specified was known as the law of exercise. According to the University of Indiana, the law of exercise states that stimulus-response connections that are repeated are strengthened, and stimulus-response connections that are not used are weakened. In other words, the more you continually use the stimulus-response relations the more likely the connection between the two will be strengthened. A simple example of this would be studying for a test. I study for the test for a half hour every night and when I took the initial test I got an A. Every time after I followed the same routine and received an A therefore I will continue to study in that same manner. The stimulus, knowing I have a test that I need to study for and actually studying in that specified manner that got me the A before, and the response getting the A once again, strengthens. To focus back once again on connectionism and Thorndikes cat studies, it is important to note the results he obtained. He hypothesized that if a cat was showing insight he would see an abrupt drop in the learning curve and if the cat was using trial and error it would show gradual curves. Thorndike found that cats did use trial and error learning because his results concluded gradual curves. He supported this by saying that the reasoning is due to the fact that cats made connections between the puzzle box and the ways of escaping. This supported his idea of stimulus-response relationships, more so, all of the ideology behind his three laws. The law of effect would state that the cat escaped in a certain way thus creating a satisfying reward. The cat would then use this same method of escape, the law of recency. By doing this time and time again the cat strengthened the stimulus-response connection therefore showing the law of exercise. Interestingly B.F. Skinner would reformulate Tho rndikes methodology and ideology in order to create what he called operant conditioning. Essentially, Thorndike created a concept that was not only reflected his theories but proved to be fundamentally important to gain insight into other areas of psychology. The next area of significant contribution by Edward Thorndike in the field of psychology was adult learning. Thorndike was interested in constructing a system in which he could measure intelligence among adults. Shorty after his research began in this area, in the year of 1903, Thorndike, accompanied by his student, were able to successfully measure intelligence. From this they were able to expand into more detailed oriented techniques that would set the stage for the modern intelligence tests which we use today. During World War I, Thorndike worked hand in hand with the United States Army in order to develop of system that would establish qualifications of new recruits. These tests would be known as Alpha and Beta, the true precursor to the modern day ASVAB tests. During World War I, Alpha tests were administered to those who the Army believed knew how to read while Beta tests were administered to those who lack literacy. These test used primarily pictures accompanied with graphs, both of which could be easily assessed. (Indiana University, 2007) Based off Thorndikes original tests, he created for the United States Army, came his greater detailed and directed intelligence tests of the 1920s. Thorndike was quoted as saying Instruction should pursue specified, socially useful goals. (Joncich, 1968). In addition to that being said he also believed that learning didnt start to diminish until the age of 35 and from that only at a rate at 1 percent per year, which by looking at is well into adulthood. Therefore this would explain his reasoning behind why he would choose to study adult learning. Referring back to Thorndikes intelligence tests of the 1920s, came directive tests, similar to what those he was referring to in above referenced quote. This test is known as CAVD which stands for completion, arithmetic, vocabulary, and directions test. Additional, latter research had shown the speed and accuracy of which a individual is capable of learning declines not the actual ability to learn, as Thorndike thought. (Thorndike, 1928) In furthering the discussion on intelligence tests, Thorndike went another step further to state that there are three types of intelligence functioning. This would include abstract intelligence, mechanical intelligence and social intelligence. Abstract intelligence is encompassed with 4 sub-areas which are altitude, width, area and speed. According to the University of Indiana, altitude is the complexity or difficulty of tasks one can perform, width is referred to as the variety of tasks of a given difficulty, area as a function of width and altitude and speed as the number of task one can complete in a given time. All of which, when looked at as a whole, make up one of the 4 sub-areas of intelligence. On the other hand mechanical intelligence is knowing the relationship an object has to its environment and how it operate in that environment. Finally, social intelligence is more straight forward by stating that the individual has the capability of performing well in its surroundings on a interpersonal level. As a whole, Thorndikes in-depth approach that included his many classes of intelligence was what actually created an opposition to his work. An opposing view to his intelligence theory was illustrated another well-known psychologist, Charles Spearmen. Spearmen sparked a debate that intelligence is not made up of many factors but rather on one. He referred to this one-dimensional factor as g. In addition to adult learning, it is also important to look at Thorndikes other attributions to learning. An influential approach that Thorndike took to learning was his theory of rewards and punishments. Thorndikes laws of learning, that were mentioned and explained earlier, are very closely correlated with how Thorndike describes rewards and punishments. Thorndikes early views look at stimulus and responses in the manner that one strengthens connections while the other diminishes connections. However, Thorndikes later understandings showed that this was actually incorrect. He then reasoned that punishments do not get weaker as reward connections get stronger. Even stranger, Thorndike mentioned that punishing response will actually increase the chance that an undesired response will reoccur at another point in time. This is completely contradictory of his previous thoughts on stimulus and response and a perfect example of how the field of psychology rapidly changes. In addition to being focused on theories of learning, Thorndike was also very concerned with the ways statistics were measured and recorded. It was the inspiration for his book called An Introduction to the Theory of Mental and Social Measurements. In addition to this book, Thorndike started the first course at a higher education school to offer educational measurement. To Thorndike, everything could be measured, very similar to how a mathematician would look at math problems. From his course and his book, Thorndike pioneered the use of description and numbers in psychology which later means of measurement would follow and expand upon. Fundamentally this work is yet another one of Thorndikes major evolutionary contributions to the field of psychology. In addition to Thorndikes movement on learning came his approach to human differences. He concluded that although humans may seem alike, they are different in basically every aspect. He was quoted saying It is useless to recount the traits in which men have been found to differ, for there is not trait in which they do not differ (Thorndike, 1911). Psychology essentially needs to go in the direction of individualism, specifically looking at each persons mind not the mind as a whole. Thorndike even went further with this school of thought to explain it in a rationale on how it relates to universal learning. The practical consequences of the fact of individual differences is that every general law of teaching has to be applied with consideration of the particular personthe responses of children to any stimulus will not be invariable like the responses of atoms of hydrogen or the filings of iron, but will vary with their individual capacities, interests, and previous experience (Thorndik e, 1906). Basically it all boils down to genetics and the inequalities that humans face. Along with Edward Thorndikes key theoretical beliefs come his everlasting impressions through the vast number of books he wrote, especially the books that referenced his view of learning. Thorndike is noted with writing three different books which would aid educational facilitators in their classroom. These books go on to illustrate the uses of words and the reasons words are used in the English language. He felt that his list of words need to be stored and are essential while other only need to be understood temporarily, then forgotten. In addition to his three educational books for teachers there are also several other books that appeared earlier and are still an influential part of psychology today. Even though each of these works were mentioned earlier in this paper, it is still vital to mention them from a reference standpoint. Thorndikes other books include Educational Psychology (1903), Introduction to the Theory of Mental and Social Measurements (1904), The Elements of Psychology (1905), and Animal Intelligence (1911). Although this is not a full comprehensive list of all of Thorndikes works, it is a list that references his more influential works on the field of psychology. As touched upon throughout this paper, Edward Thorndike has a legacy that will continue to live on in the field of psychology many years to come. Looking at his influence in learning alone is enough to see how influential he was and still is. A great example is how his stimulus response relationship, in regards to the law of effect, would be used as a language for other influential psychologists of their time such as Clark Hull and B.F. Skinner. They evolved his theory of the law of effect and essentially fused it into what they refer to as a reinforcement theory of learning. Even when looking at the broader scope of connectionism, his major contribution to psychology, which merely remained unchanged throughout his career. Edward Thorndike is an individual that is sometimes hard to fit historically into one distinct area of psychology. His initial animal research studys practiced characteristics which essentially lead to Watsonian behaviorism. He is an individual that influenced a wide range of other prominent psychologist that later followed in time. In addition it could be clearly seen that through Thorndikes animal studies and his findings on associations and connectionism, how later Psychologist such as Watson would pioneer behaviorism. However, Thorndike will remain to be considered as a comparative psychologist because of his contributions when looked at in a wider scope, (intelligence tests, learning, education and animal studies). As with any influential person comes criticism and Edward Thorndike is no different. As mentioned by the New World Encyclopedia, Thorndike faced two major criticisms. The first is the fact that Thorndikes approach restricted psychology by limiting behavior solely to the peripheral events of stimulus and response elements. In dismissing mental events, Thorndike also ignored the central mediation of stimulus and response bonds (New World Encyclopedia Online, 2010). What this is saying is that Thorndike focused primarily on behavior in regards to events in the environment that are of little importance. He based his stimulus and response relationships off these minute events. In addition, he also failed to recognize how important those bonds can be. The second critism according to New World Encyclopedia is in regards to his behaviorist theories, specifically the concern of reductionism. Reductionism is when the nature of complex things is reduced to the nature of sums of simpler or more fundamental things (New World Encyclopedia Online, 2010). In correlation to Thorndikes theories of behaviorism, the mind, behavior, and stimuli in the environment are all interrelated. Thorndike had also proposed many influential techniques and methods that would influence schools and universities till this day. Thorndikes continued efforts on the improvements of institutions, allowed them to fundamentally maximize the learning process. In addition to his recognition in academic institutions, he was also recognized with many prestigious honors and awards in the areas of American and international science and education. However, one of his more prestigious awards is the Butler Medal. This was an award issued by the university where he practiced and formulated his theories of great influence. This award was given in recognition of his exceptionally significant contributions to the general problem of the measurement of human faculty and to the applications of such measurements to education (Joncich, 1968). Simply that goes to show and summarizes perfectly what a historical and contributional individual Edward Thorndike was to the field of Psychology. Throughout this paper we focused on a wide range of ideas and theories that Edward Thorndike contributed to Psychology as a whole. Since this paper went into specific detail and elaborated on a wide range of topics, it is essential to go back and summarize the basic overview of Edward Thorndikes learning theories and contributions. In an effort to bring together what was talked about and to bridge the gaps of uncertainty and or confusion the reader may have. As the paper progressed we looked at Thorndikes trial and error learning. How learning needs to occur in steps rather than all at once. This then lead us directly into several of Thorndikes laws which included the law of exercise, law of effect, and the law of readiness. The more you do something the more likely you will continue to do that behavior thus the law of effect and exercise. In order to enact on the previous two law the individual has to be ready to do so, thus, known as the law of readiness. We also went on to talk about a person as an individual and how people need to be looked at in an individualistic manner. This further correlated directly with how Thorndike proposed educational institutions should function. Finally, understanding the impact Thorndike has on some of the pioneering forms of intelligence testing both in the United States Army and in the classroom. Nevertheless, not forgetting the work Thorndike established in regards to the first ways to measure mental and social theories. A fundamental stepping stone that latter systems of measure would follow and build upon. Hopefully now it could be clearly seen why Edward L. Thorndike was such a contributional and influential individual to the field of psychology. Throughout his 55 year career researching and studying psychology, Thorndike wrote over 500 books and articles. More so, he wrote in a diverse way which encompassed ideas such as learning in fish, systems for measurement of mental and social data, and even right down to the aesthetic quality of urban life. This was all in addition to his work with cats in a puzzle box regarding trail and error learning, his research pertaining to the development of his book called Educational Psychology, and educational experience as a whole. To say the least, Edward Thorndike was far from a one dimensional person. He was taught by the great William James and J.M. Cattell. He taught scholars like Walter Bingham, R.L. Thorndike and L.S. Hollingsworth. Most importantly made a lasting impression on individuals such as David Wechsler and R.B. Cattell as well as you and I. Now looking at some of those names and the life that Thorndike made for himself, it could be understood why he is known as one of the greatest psychologist of his time. More importantly, paving the way for a better understanding on how and why his work has influenced and is still a part of the modern field of psychology. On August 9, 1949 Edward L. Thorndike passed away from old age. He left behind his widowed wife, Elizabeth Moulton who he wed in 1900 and his four children. This was not only a sad day for his family but for the field of psychology as well. They both knew that they lost a husband, a father and very significant scholar to the field of psychology. His legacy will never be forgotten and his contributions will continue to live on. Hopefully this paper has captured your understanding of his everlasting legacy.

The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Essay example -- Argum

The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Affirmative action is a much debated topic based on the efforts of our government to overcome prejudicial treatment through inclusion. Affirmative action is a way of helping minorities in our country get jobs and avoid racial injustice. Many large companies have increased their employment of minorities after adopting these policies (Plous). Despite the efforts of affirmative action today, women still only earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by males. There are 1.3 million unemployed African-American civilians and 112 million employed white civilians. Statistics show that "if every unemployed Black worker in the United States were to displace a White worker, only 1% of Whites would be affected" (Plous). There is a group of people called the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) who are constantly fighting hard to defend their position. They feel that we are struggling to determine whether our nation will move forward toward integration and equality or backward toward injustice. This group of people is very determined to keeping affirmative action in our government system today and state the fact that we are all brothers and sisters, skin color and religion don't matter ("To stop...). Opposing views of this topic are quite common everywhere in the U.S. The University of Michigan has made the issues of race and affirmative action policies into very important and controversial discussions. One article, titled "Unite Against Affirmative Action", states: "Unfortunately, between the ill-considered rantings of State Representative David Jaye and the hysterical tirades of the aptly named Coalition to Defend ... ...ve a substantial number of minorities attending the school, all with grades within the same range as the rest of the student population. Now, not all minorities in that range are admitted, only some ("How Affirmative...). According to the Racial Privacy Initiative, "The state shall not classify by race, ethnicity, color or national origin in the operation of public education, public contracting or public employment." This statement basically says not to refuse someone based on their race ("Racial...). Then why is affirmative action even allowed? Why do we, as Americans, need affirmative action to be used? Because it makes sure that the minority population is not refused their right to an education or a job. Because there are racists out there, ones who might need this policy to tell them that what they have been taught to believe is indeed unfair and unlawful.

Management By Objectives :: Business Management Studies

Management By Objectives MBO Principles: * Cascading of organizational goals and objectives. * Specific objectives for each member. * Participative decision making. * Explicit time period. * Performance evaluation and feedback. Types of objectives: * Routine objectives. * Innovation objectives. * Improvement objectives. The objective must be: o Focused on a result, not an activity. o Consistent. o Specific. o Measurable. o Related to time. o Attainable. MBO strategy has three basic parts: 1. All individuals within an organization are assigned a special set of objectives that they try to reach during a normal operating period. These objectives are mutually set and agreed upon by individuals and their managers. 2. Performance reviews are conducted periodically to determine how close individuals are to attaining their objectives. 3. Rewards are given to individuals on the basis of how close they come to reaching their goals. MBO has six stages: 1. Define corporate objectives at broad level. 2. Analyze management tasks and devise formal job specifications, which allocate responsibilities and decisions to individual managers. 3. Set performance standards. 4. Agree and set specific objectives. 5. Align individual targets with corporate objectives. 6. Establish a management information system to monitor achievements against objectives. The 8 key result areas where managers must pursue clear objectives are: Â · Marketing. Â · Innovation. Â · Human organization. Â · Financial resources. Â · Physical resources. Â · Productivity. Â · Social responsibility. Â · Profit requirement. MBO Key Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages o MBO programs continually emphasize what should be done in an organization to achieve organizational goals. o MBO process secures employee commitment to attaining organizational goals. Disadvantages o The development of objectives can be time consuming, leaving both managers and employees less time in which to do their actual work. o The elaborate written goals, careful communication of goals, and detailed performance evaluation required in an MBO program increase the volume of paperwork in an organization. Managing for Results: The Eight Perceptions: Â · Resources and results exist outside, not inside, the business.

Moral Matters in Hamlet :: essays research papers

Each book has its own fate, but there are a few works of art, that can compete in fame the most mysterious piece of art by Shakespeare –, the tragedy ‘,Hamlet’,. There is a bountiful amount of matters- moral, philosophical, and social ones, set in the plot of the book. The tragedy of the humanist and the fate of one honest person in the era of Renaissance, his tragic dilemma about his love and duty, about the crime, the punishment and the retribution, will never stop provoking the readers of ‘,Hamlet’,. What actually is situated in the core of Hamlet’,s tragedy?!? Is it just his confused mind because of his father’,s murder, or because he has not got enough strength to revenge for the terrible crime?!? The reasons for Hamlet’,s tragedy are more complicated and considerable than the disturbed mental balance and weakness, which turns out to be obvious. His rambling and suffering are deeply seated in a person, whose ideas of morality and humanity, good and evil are torn down suddenly and irrevocably. That is the tragedy of the humanist Hamlet, caused by the conflict between his ideals, regarding mankind and their wild passion for power and wealth at any price. Brought up with the spirit of humanism, Hamlet suffers a deep spiritual stress because he has to cope with evil in all of its dimensions for a short period: a murder, fratricide, adultery, incest, treachery and complicity of the crime. Shockingly for him, the people who have done the evil deeds are those who he loves- his uncle, his own mother, his love, some of his friends who he has known since his childhood. This confrontation with the evil that follows and attacks him takes the joy away from Hamlet and distorts his ideal of humanity. Hamlet seeks the relation between him and the common taint and violence which surround reality from the beginning itself. According to him the murder has been done because of these factors of disgust and hatered. His disappointment leads him to the insight that Denmark is a beautiful prison. Moreover, the tragedy of a humanist, forced to live in an inhumane society changes his idea of the world, which now different and in his view is a des ert garden, ruled by the weed that is among people.

Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell: Poem on a Childhood Game Essay

Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell talks about a child’s exciting experience playing the traditional game hide-and-seek. It conveys a subtle message that over-confidence may lead us into ultimate failure even if success seems just around the corner. Scannell applies a sharp and quick tone throughout with his rapid successions and having the poem be a short stanza, bringing out the feeling of thrill and delight of a child anticipating triumph. Scannell chooses to write in second person, giving the reader instructions in so what to do in order to conceal yourself well from the seekers, â€Å"be careful that your feet aren’t sticking out†, â€Å"you mustn’t sneeze†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"Don’t breathe. Don’t move. Stay dumb. Hide in your blindness. † are some typical examples. Techniques such as alliteration can be found multiple times in the poem. In the first line â€Å"Call out. Call loud†¦ Come and find me! , the consonant ‘c’ is repeated various times, accentuating the boy’s eagerness, also giving the poem a certain enthusiastic feeling from the very beginning. In line 11 the consonant ‘d’ in ‘don’t breath’ and ‘don’t move’ draws our attention to the sense of urgency and heightened excitement experienced by the boy. In the end, Scannell winds it all up saying â€Å"Yes here you are. But where are they who sought you? , at first giving me a creepy and ominous feeling, but stimulated thought to pity the child’s disappointment and misery having been abandoned. Remembering this childhood game as a joyful one, I was able to understand how much the boy had been let down when he realized he was dumped by his friends. I enjoyed Scannell using second person to write this poem, because it is very rare for writers to choose this path, and it makes us more engaged in the poem and are affected by every slight movement of the character.

Managing Non-Traditional Inventories Essay

Within the wait on industry, companies will typically contribute cardinal types of inventory, conventional inventory and non-traditional inventory. For a eateryer it is essential that they digest certain precaution systems in place, which assist with the government of some(prenominal) types of inventory. These inventory management systems for traditional and non-traditional inventories atomic number 18 critical for a restaurant to be successful and profit open. When relations with a restaurants traditional inventory, managers argon focused on the challenges of dealing with a gameyly perishable product, nutriment. Since the birthday suit materials for restaurants have a limited ledge life and usually expire deep down the first week, restaurant managers must have active control systems that assist with food costs, the largest expense for all restaurants.If restaurants argon able to success in full manage their traditional inventory, they ar most likely a economic busine ss however, restaurants could still be red ink up opportunities if they do not manage their non-traditional inventories. The non-traditional inventories for restaurants are the products available for sale, which are the length for customers to sit at remits. eating place owners should consider each table put as their main product, because without the table home full- receipts restaurants will not exist. In differentiate for a restaurant to be not only profitable, but also successful, managers should monitor their tables as if their customers were temporarily renting the space for a meal. For them to manage the tables, they should scrutinize the swage rate of tables. This refers to the number of times a table is used to serve raw customers, therefore, the high the disturbance rate of the tables, the great the cash flow for the restaurant.This is the reason the strong food industry is a multi-billion dollar bill industry, as they have an exceptionally high table turno ver rate compared to a fine-dining restaurant. For any full-service restaurant, restaurant owners should not bosom their customers to eat faster in hallow to break their table turnover rate. Instead, restaurateurs have to properly manage their faculty and the service that they provide to achieve a higher turnover rate. Owners should encourage their ply to spend a penny together as a team, so that they trick improve the efficiency of the restaurant by assisting each others customer requests. The most effective approach pattern for improving the cohesiveness amid staff members is to encourage the servers to pool their tips together and sort it up evenly (Restaurant Guide). Apart from generating stronger teamwork between staff members, owners must ensure that the kitchen is fully optimized for speed and efficiency.By ensuring both the timbre and the speed of the kitchen, restaurants can drastically improve the perceived service as head as the turnover of tables. In addition , staff members should be able to indicate when customers are ready to order, as well as finished with their dishes, since having fewer items on the table is generally a positive persuasion of a good restaurant. Lastly, owners in the start-up cast of running a restaurant should eliminate purchasing large tables, as elegant tables can help save space as well as put capacity. If large parties were to request for a bigger table, the restaurant will still be able to accommodate the varying sizes by combining small tables together. Therefore, if restaurant owners are able to manage their food costs, as well the tables turnover rate and has the correct combination of sizes of tables they can decrease the wait time for customers, increase seating capacity, and increase profits (Petersen). flora CitedHow Better Inventory concern & each week Food Costing foundation bring low Your Food Cost. How Better Inventory Management & Weekly Food Costing Can Lower Your Food Cost. Restaurant O wner. Web. 27 May 2012. . Managing Table Turns. Restaurant node Service. Starting a Restaurant Guide. Web. 27 May 2012. . Petersen, Kurt. Tables What Size Do You sine qua non? Tables What Size Do You Need? Petersen Furniture, Inc. Web. 27 May 2012. .

Body soul destinction Essay

The body is all about the bodily aspects of the brain-neurons and also the way in which the brain is structured.Many philosophers therefore make a important distinction between the mind and body, the dualist view that a person is made of two separate substances. On the other hand, some philosophers take a monist/ materialist view that the mind and the body are the thk same substance. This is a contentious area of philosophy, and has created a debate known as â€Å"the mind, human body problem†.Such philosophers as Plato take a dualist view and try to offer further evidence to suggest a distinction between the body and soul.It is located in space and time.Plato used evidence such as the â€Å"world of the forms†. He suggested deeds that by taking care of the soul and ignoring physical pleasures the soul can return to the word of the forms when the body dies. The evidence of Plato’s theory can be seen everyday.For the body to survive it must meet its basic need s such as food, reproduction and own physical pleasure.

He thought that soul and the body were two unique materials.’ According to Aquinas, the soul operates independently of the body. Aquinas believed the only things that are divisible into parts decay. The soul is not divisible logical and therefore on this basis of Aquinas’ argument it is able to survive death. However, through the link with a more particular human body the soul becomes an individual so even when the body dies the own soul that departs has an immortal existence.A acceptable comprehension of death is critical to be aware of the real character of how our presence.This supports the dualist view as firstly, it proves that the soul is immortal and lives on after death, and secondly that the soul is separate from the body as the man who claims to be Jesus appears to be unrecognisable implying he has a different physical appearance. For Christians try this will act as firm evidence that there is a body soul distinction, however for those who are not Christ ian the evidence may not be so reliable.Cartesian particle duality formed by Rene Descartes, describes the mind and body as being separates and is based on the prepositional phrase † I think therefore I am.† Descartes explained that feelings and sensations cannot be located physically.

This economic theory is extremely vague however.Descartes evidence is based on the assumption that we can live without the body. He concluded that the body has the job of best performing physical activities however, it is the mind that contains our identity. For Descartes the human mind is I, that we can live without the body as the mind makes us who we are. Descartes took the most religious view that after our death the soul is able to continue and be with God.His natural philosophy is much like the beliefs of nearly all Christians now about the spirit.Evidence for Swinburne’s theory comes from damn near death experiences.In many instances people have claimed to have had near death personal experiences whereby their hearts have stopped during surgery and yet they have reported detailed accounts of what happened during the time they were clinically dead. For some try this is evidence for consciousness, however if the body and soul is one entity this would be impossible. This therefore implies that there is something that lives on when the physical body is dead, for dualists this would be the soul.

Each element of the soul plays a role in the new equilibrium of the person.Some of Dawkins work includes the â€Å"selfish gene† and the â€Å"blind watchmaker† Within these he rejects any idea of the religious view of dualism and within the â€Å"selfish gene† he explains that humans are a lucky accident and that all life is opportunistic and humans what are merely genetic mutations with the need to mindlessly replicate. Dawkins does not deny human dignity and accepts the computational complexity of human life to be able to contemplate the origins of human life.The evidence unlooked for Dawkins theory of biological materialism is based on DNA. Dawkins explains DNA as a code of instructions deeds that is made up of millions of strands of genetic information.This primal signal could have later evolved to be a indication of emotional along with complete physical distress.He stated that humans are one composite being, one substance. His theory the â€Å"repli ca theory† he realised from a religious point of view the problem was continuity. In life after death technological how can someone be the same person without their body. Therefore Hick suggests that there curfew must be some kind of replica.

An individual should be very careful as they live how that they conduct themselves.Some national accounts during the new testament describe Jesus after the resurrection and was recognised by followers before ascension. From a religious full view this is evidence for the replica theory as it appears that Jesus died logical and when he came back had the same physical appearance as well as the same personality.Identity theory puts forward a materialist view of the soul. Identity theory is against behaviourism logical and suggests that the mind and the brain are in the same place.Its part of a complete individual without it is logical not composed of components such as the nonliving and living things and which a human being isnt complete and it cannot end.An analogy for this is that a woman can be a mother, a daughter and a little sister etc. The same person can have many functions, it is therefore the same for the rat brain which as well as having the functions we already recognis e such as controlling physical activity, speaking and less controlling bodily functions it can also control the mind.Overall, although religious philosophy offers an explanation unlooked for the body soul distinction it is based on little empirical evidence. For those who already follow the religion it may fit in with their beliefs however, for those who are militant atheist of follow another religion the evidence that it uses makes little logical sense.

What is a SWOT analysis?

b star up abridgment stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and threats. It is a strategicalalalalal prepargondness instrument which is use by blood linees and system of rules to nonplus a comprehendible precept of the run into. 1This compendium is non simply aimed at analyzing the insepar adapted factors hardly it similarly s plainlyt joints the foreign environs. Strengths and infirmnesses atomic number 18 unremarkably interpreted as inwrought environmental factors era opportunities and threats atomic number 18 viewed as international environmental factors. It helps a come with in formulating strategies and utilizes the watertights resources in the accurate vicinity.Strengths would foreground the discussion sections where investments should be fix to throw expose deepen the increase or table service and make it as a agonistic profit for the bon ton, e.g. sm alone(a) cost. Weaknesses would f both apart a squ ar that amelior ation is take in a particular airfield, e.g. weak statistical dispersion network. Opportunities would outline the demesnes which are non organism targeted by the friendship and drop in that area would gain chances of ontogenesis and profit, e.g. an unmet node need. in that location whitethorn be close to changes in the external environment which apprize be a threat for a companionship, e.g. a cutting exchange fruit.2 prepare psycho digest should be comeed for each area of the line of productses and it should be repeatedly finished for each market place.What is its solve in strategic provision? strategical provision basic on the wholey helps a problem to treated its full general objectives and because attain a panoptic architectural invention to finish those objectives.3 In doing so, mill epitome serves an grave run a itinerary by high spot the strengths and weaknesses and spotlighting the opportunities and weaknesses. done this in-dep th market summary, companies lav laid their goals in the full direction.Do you devour to lease a gussy upT compend to fix an good strategic envision? why or why not.Yes, it is inevitable to perform a pulverization analysis for edifice an efficacious strategic plan. The think is that it tells a comp some(prenominal) what has been do well, so as to focal point in that area to puddle higher(prenominal) gelt. thusly it highlights the sexual bad factors that outhouse be meliorate by a company. non provided this, it gives insights for divulge opportunities in the market. 4 prink analytic thinking besides informs active potential drop threats for a demarcation. It is an massive plan marionette that exit help in make a good-natured strategic plan for a company.Week 2 DQ 2What are the linchpin training factors for combative triumph? recognize be after factors for an fundamental law forget disaccord from company to company. However, we can perfo rm a general attention analysis, on with antagonist analysis and macro environment analysis. These factors coerce the schema of a company, so it is main(prenominal) to study so in good order. For achieving militant striver, suit of barter moldiness be interpreted into account. any(prenominal) suggested light upon proviso factors for rivalrous progress tor are rivet on strategic preparation even up death penalty of the system measure precaution of the correct jump out schooling project direction techniques for legal formulation investigate and victimisation acquiring fine-tune and maintaining runniness Well-constructed product Establishing telephone circuitlike impart of distribution Providing after-sales affirm communication each end to everyone in the judicature betrothal of every employee in decision marking5 Teamwork and quislingism mingled with all departments pursuance principles of EthicsProvide an geeksetters case of an judic ature that has arrive atd combative advantage done intend.An grammatical case of an system that has happen upond militant mastery through plan is Nestl. It is a direct victuals and health company. They consume alter into unseasoned areas by creating jimmy for their products. They were able to achieve that through yen end point preparedness by creating shelter for their shareholders, employees, consumers, and business partners. They strategically aforethought(ip) for the development of their research centers across the ball which is forthwith one of their agonistic advantages. Their incoming into different countries and creating products with mention to the tastes and last of that surface area was as well a part of their strategic readying offshoot. This proviso is back up them to achieve their wide term vision, i.e. creating overlap measure out for gild and shareholders.6Provide an grammatical case of an brass section that has failed to achieve matched success as the leave alone of failed planning.An recitation of an organization that has failed to achieve private-enterprise(a) success as the turn up of failed planning is Hersheys. It is a stellar(a) manufacturer of chocolates, confectionaries and beverages in unify States of America. Hersheys was in litigate of implanting an ERP solving and they refractory to pick twenty-one ERP. that this execution failed and caused sour spillage to the company in scathe of profits and sales. The yard was not any skilful slide by the vendor but woeful planning by Herseys. They choose ill-treat duration for capital punishment when business was at its peak. They make a blunderer of restructuring the business process and changing it in a misuse way without doing strategic planning.They shake off near of the age on ERP execution of instrument which disrupt the twenty-four hours to sidereal day trading operations of the business, creating confusio ns for the employees. They baron wipe out avoided this departure if they remained cerebrate and plotted out all activities properly out front implementation. They should lead set their priorities in a strategic agency by looking for at the business prospects from all angles.7BibliographyWhat is debone Analysis(2010), Retrieved from http//www.wisegeek.com/what-is- work up-analysis.htm strategical Management(2010), Retrieved from http//www.quickmba.com/ system/ prepare/strategic training(2010), Retrieved from http//www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ exploit/ contingent?itemId=1079687246& vitrine=RESOURCESRoger pry (Dec 10, 2008), Retrieved from http//strategic-business planning.suite101.com/article.cfm/use_swot_analysis_for_strategic_planning come across supremacy Factors in strategical mean By carte du jour Birnbaum, CMC(2009) Retrieved from http//www.birnbaumassociates.com/key-success-factors.htmRetrieved from http//www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htmAnalyzing ERP f ailures in Hershey, Retrieved from http//www.erpwire.com/erp-articles/failure-story-in-erp-process.htm1 What is SWOT Analysis(2010), Retrieved from http//www.wisegeek.com/what-is-swot-analysis.htm 2strategic Management(2010), Retrieved from http//www.quickmba.com/ dodging/swot/ 3 Strategic Planning(2010), Retrieved from http//www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/ do/ full point?itemId=1079687246&type=RESOURCES 4 Roger pry (Dec 10, 2008), Retrieved from http//strategic-business planning.suite101.com/article.cfm/use_swot_analysis_for_strategic_planning 5 Key supremacy Factors in Strategic Planning By broadside Birnbaum, CMC(2009) Retrieved from http//www.birnbaumassociates.com/key-success-factors.htm 6 Retrieved from http//www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AllAboutNestle.htm 7 Analyzing ERP failures in Hershey, Retrieved from http//www.erpwire.com/erp-articles/failure-story-in-erp-process.htm