Islamic Culture (week 9) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Islamic Culture (week 9) - Essay Example By following this etiquette of differing the Muslim society can maintain the characteristics of love and brotherhood between Muslims (Al-Hashmi, 2007). It is easy for the people to control themselves during the situation of agreement and behave in proper manner. However, when people enter into any kind of disagreement it gets difficult for them to behave in appropriate manner. In order to justify their argument and point of view people indulge in unethical way of arguing which at times also leads to fighting. It is acceptable to have a different opinions regarding any specific topic or matter. The acceptable disagreements allow the people to get hold of different viewpoints with strong evidence and increase their knowledge. However, there are some etiquette of differing in the Muslim society which should be followed by the Muslims. Some of these etiquettes are as follow (Al-Hashmi, 2007): Muslims should use appropriate and good words while arguing and debating with other people and should avoid the use of harsh words, as mentioned in Holy Quran: ‘And Speak good to the people’. [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:83] The purpose of discussion should be to get clarification and to identify truth. The reason behind the discussion or differing opinion should not be for the purpose of satisfying ego or for feeling proud. Lastly, the parties and people involved in debate or discussion should respect the opinion of other people and if no agreement or mutual result is achieved the debate should be ended on positive notes (Baianonie, 1998). Islam has provided the concept of harmony, peace, love, and brotherhood between the Muslims and whole mankind. The concept of brotherhood and harmony among the Muslims is an important element in Islam and huge emphasis have been placed on it from the very start. It is important and essential to maintain the characteristics of love and brotherhood between Muslims because it

Thesis guidelines Essay Example for Free

Thesis guidelines Essay The Use and Purpose of the Guidelines At the Faculty of Technology, there are five different guidelines for writing theses: guideline for bachelor’s degree in business studies, guideline for bachelor’s degree in technology, guideline for master’s degree in business studies, guideline for master’s degree in technology, and general writing guideline for the Faculty of Technology. The guidelines for specific degrees contain instructions for the structure, printing and submitting of the theses. The general writing guideline contains information about the formatting of text and the use of sources and references. The student is required to use two of these guidelines, 1) general writing guideline for the Faculty of Technology and 2) guideline for appropriate degree. The purpose of the above guidelines is to ensure that theses at the faculty fulfil the requirements concerning academic writing and layout. This guideline is for students studying at Faculty of Technology and writing their master’s thesis for the degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration. In addition, students are required to use the general guideline for the Faculty of Technology. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS page 1. MASTER’S THESIS AND ITS PURPOSE 4 2. FROM MASTER’S THESIS TO GRADUATION 5 2. 1. Thesis Subject 5 2. 2. Credits 5 2. 3. Supervision 5 2. 4. Assessment, Approval and Grading 5 2. 5. Maturity Essay 7 2. 6. Publicity 9 2. 7. Further Details 10 3. MASTER’S THESES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES 11 4. THE STRUCTURE OF THE MASTER’S THESIS 12 4. 1. Title 12 4. 2. Covers 12 4. 3. General notes on printing and editing 13 4. 4. Title page 13 4. 5. Abstract 14 5. EDITING THE MASTER’S THESIS 15 5. 1. Introduction 15 5. 2. Theory and background information 15 5. 3. Main subject of the thesis 16 5. 4. Discussion and results. 17 5. 5. Conclusions 17 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1. Glossary 19 19 3 APPENDIX 2. Title page of a Master? s Thesis 22 APPENDIX 3. Abstract page of a Master? s Thesis 23 APPENDIX 4. Assessment criteria for master’s theses and licentiate theses 24 4 1. MASTER’S THESIS AND ITS PURPOSE According to regulations concerning the degree Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (higher university degree), the student is required to write a master’s thesis (pro gradu) and pass a written maturity essay. Master’s thesis is a personal independent academic work prepared by the student. The student is advised to start preparing the master’s thesis in the second year of higher degree studies. The student has to sign up for a research seminar group of the major subject. The master’s thesis must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to use research methods and academic style. The aim of the master’s thesis is to improve the student’s ability for independent research work and its practical application as well as to enable the student to apply different research methods both independently and in groups. Furthermore, master’s thesis must demonstrate the student’s ability to use relevant literature and to present research results as well as show ability for doctoral studies. 5 2. FROM MASTER’S THESIS TO GRADUATION 2. 1. Thesis Subject The student has to prepare a master’s thesis in order to obtain the degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (higher university degree). The subject of the thesis is suggested by the student and approved by the thesis supervisor of the major department. Teachers may provide help in choosing the subject. 2. 2. Credits. During the advanced level studies of master’s degree studies, the student prepares a master’s thesis, which comprises 30 ECTS. 2. 3. Supervision The Master’s thesis is supervised by a teacher of the major field. The supervisor gives general guidance during the writing process and more detailed advice when necessary. The supervisor gives feedback about the thesis and may ask the student to report on the progress of the work. 2. 4. Assessment, Approval and Grading The thesis must be submitted to the faculty in 3 or 4 bound copies. One copy should be submitted to each examiner of the thesis. In addition, one or two copies should be submitted to the Amanuensis, depending on whether or not the student gives permission to publish the thesis online in Tritonia database. An electronic copy of the whole thesis and an abstract must be saved to the Tritonia’s database regardless of the student’s 6 decision on public availability. The work and abstract are submitted to Tritonia by filling in a thesis form at http://www. tritonia. fi/? d=140l=1. The thesis cannot be approved unless the work is successfully submitted to Tritonia. Theses copies submitted to the University are not returned to the student. One copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Amanuensis if the student allows his or her work to be made publicly available outside the Tritonia network. If the wok is not to be shown publicly, two copies must be submitted. In addition, an abstract without page number must be submitted to the Amanuensis of the Faculty of Technology. The student should submit only the abstract which is written in the language used in the thesis. The evaluation time for a Master’s thesis is 30 days. This means that the thesis has to be left to the examiners and the Amanuensis for evaluation approximately 5 weeks before the expected acceptance date. If the Master’s thesis is the last study attainment of the student, it should be available for the Dean’s decision at least 10 days before the deadline for submitting the application for degree certificate (which is 28 days before the graduation day). The Dean usually processes theses two times each month. It is recommended that students check the schedule for graduation well beforehand from the university web pages at http://www. uwasa. fi/english/studies/degree-and-postgraduatestudents/academic-information/graduation/. The schedule of the Dean’s thesis processing is available from the Amanuensis, if needed. Two evaluators assigned by the Head of the appropriate department make a statement about the thesis to the Dean within 30 days of the day the thesis is submitted for evaluation. Usually one of the evaluators is the supervisor of the thesis. The student is reserved the right to see the statements and a suggestion for the grading before the work is taken to the Dean for approval. The Dean decides on approval of the thesis and confirms the grade based on the statements and suggestion made by the examiners. The grading scale for Master’s thesis is sufficient, satisfactory, good, very good, and excellent. After the Dean’s decision has been made, the student will receive a notification about the grade of the thesis and a copy of the evaluators’ statement by post. 7 The student dissatisfied with the thesis grading may apply to the degree committee of the University of Vaasa in writing for rectification of the evaluation of the Masters thesis within 14 days of the day when the grade was released (Universities Act 558/2009, Section 82, and the University of Vaasa Degree Ordinance, Section 13). An appeal cannot be made against the decision made by the degree committee on the request for rectification of the decision concerning the evaluation of a study attainment. 2. 5. Maturity Essay In order to obtain the degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration, the student also has to pass a written maturity essay. In the maturity essay, the student is expected to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter of the master’s thesis in a supervised examination. In addition, the student is expected to show ability to write fluent Finnish or Swedish (see exceptions below). Finnish students write the maturity essay in the language in which the student has received elementary education (Finnish or Swedish). A completed maturity essay in the language of elementary education gives the student excellent language proficiency in the appropriate language (in compliance with Decree A 481/2003). In case the student has already completed a maturity essay for a bachelor’s degree in the same language, the maturity essay for the higher degree concerns only content, not language proficiency. In this case, the language of the maturity essay is determined by the faculty (see Decree on University Degrees, section 16 subsection 3; or the University of Vaasa Degree Ordinance, Section 17). The same applies in all cases where the student has already completed a maturity essay for another higher education degree; the maturity essay concerns only content. Students who have completed their elementary education in a language other than Finnish or Swedish or have received elementary education outside Finland are not 8 required to prove their language proficiency in the maturity essay. Also in these cases the language of the maturity essay is determined by the faculty. International students who have not received their elementary education in Finnish or Swedish but have obtained sufficient language proficiency in Finnish or Swedish may complete their maturity essay in Finnish or Swedish. In this case, language proficiency is assessed according to the criteria used for Finnish students. A successfully completed maturity essay gives the student good language proficiency in Finnish or Swedish in compliance with Decree A 481/2003, and it will be stated in the degree certificate as well. The Maturity essay can be completed on any of the general examination days. Registration must be made with a form and registration envelope available at the Academic Affairs office. The form is available also at the web pages of the Language Centre. The student may register for the maturity essay only after the Master’s thesis has been left for inspection in its final form. The examination date for maturity essay must be agreed on with the thesis supervisor and should be at least 7 days after the thesis has been left for inspection. In the maturity essay, the student is given two or three questions on the subject of the student’s master’s thesis. The student is required to answer one of the questions by an essay. The essay should be written for a reader that is familiar with the appropriate field but has not studied the specific research topic of the master’s thesis. In other words, the maturity essay should comprise an independent text and the student should not assume that the reader is familiar with the master’s thesis. In addition to academic content, the essay must also demonstrate good language proficiency and comprise a logical, well-structured whole. It must present the topic in writing, not by graphical presentations like tables or charts. The essay must also have a heading (otherwise the examiner evaluating the language of the thesis will not be able to see whether the essay really answers the question). The essay must have an introduction and a conclusion. Suggested length of the essay is approximately one examination sheet 9 (four pages). It should be written on each line of the paper with empty lines separating between paragraphs. After the first draft, it is advisable to rewrite the maturity essay, with special emphasis on clear handwriting. Words should be clearly separate and the difference between capital and lower case letters should be clearly shown. The essay must show knowledge of the basics of grammar and punctuation. Excessive use of abbreviations should be avoided. Sentences and clauses must be clearly connected, and they should be logical and show variation. Incorrect reference relationships must be avoided. Word order must be unambiguous and fit the structure of the presented information. The essay must be written in a factual style. Further advice is available at: www. uwasa. fi/kielipalvelut/opiskelu/kypsyysnayte/. The result of the maturity essay must be given within 30 days from the date of examination. The grading scale for maturity essay is pass/fail (no other grade). In case the maturity essay is failed on the basis of its content, the student must meet with the thesis supervisor in order to receive feedback before registering for a retake. If the reason for failing is related to problems in the language, the student must contact the examiner responsible for evaluating the language of the essay. 2. 6. Publicity All theses are public documents. According to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), official documents shall be in the public domain, unless specifically otherwise provided by the law. A master’s thesis becomes public when it has been officially approved. With commissioned theses, the commissioner may demand that a thesis or parts of it have to remain non-public in order to protect business or professional secrets. In this case, those parts of the work that contain such secrets are not integrated into the master’s thesis, but annexed to the thesis as background material. The background 10  material must conform to the general guidelines on writing master’s thesis and must be left for inspection at the same time and in as many copies as the master’s thesis. The background material is not bound together with the master’s thesis but submitted separately with its own title page and titled BACKGROUND MATERIAL. However, general, non-specific information from the background material should be incorporated in the text of the master’s thesis whenever possible. The minimum requirements for the master’s thesis proper are that it specifies the theoretical framework, research methods, material and its analysis, and has a list of references. It must comprise an independent, readable whole. Background material is evaluated together with the actual master’s thesis but is not made public. After the evaluation, the background material is archived and kept in a secure place at the appropriate department. Use of non-public background material must always be discussed in advance with the thesis supervisor. 2. 7. Further Details For information on layout and other technical details of mater’s thesis, see faculty’s general guidelines on writing theses. Further advice is given by the staff of the faculty and departments. 11 3. MASTER’S THESES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES The student may write the master’s thesis also in languages other than Finnish or Swedish. For practical reasons, this language is usually English as the evaluators of the thesis have to master the language in order to be able to evaluate the academic quality of the thesis. Using a language other than Finnish or Swedish must always be discussed with the thesis supervisor in advance. International students are advised to consult the thesis supervisor and amanuensis about their thesis and maturity essay before they start preparing their master’s thesis. The student is personally responsible for expenses resulting from for example use of language consultant etc. Appendix 1 shows the names of the departments, subjects, study programmes and modules in Swedish, and English. 12 4. THE STRUCTURE OF THE MASTER’S THESIS Master’s thesis can be structured as follows: Title page Table of contents (Symbols and abbreviations) (Pictures) (Tables) Abstract Introduction Main body text (methods, discussion, results) Conclusions List of references Appendices Parts in parentheses are not compulsory. 4. 1. Title. The title of the master’s thesis should be short, clear and expressive of the content (field and orientation). The student may use a subtitle in order to add focus to the title. No abbreviations should be used in the title. 4. 2. Covers The master’s thesis must be bound in hard, dark blue covers (marble blue for licentiate theses for the Faculty of Technology), page size A4. It is advisable to reserve enough time for the printing process – at least a week. 13 Lettering on the front cover should appear in the colour Gold and font Palatino, Times New Roman or equivalent: MASTER’S THESIS or LICENTIATE THESIS. Centred, bottom margin 200mm (font size 34pt) Author’s name (bottom right corner with 30–35 mm margins from bottom and right, font size 20 pt) Lettering on the spine of the thesis should appear in the colour Gold and font as above: Author’s name (on the left of the spine with 40mm margin on left) Year of publication (on the right of the spine with 30mm margin on right) 4. 3. General notes on printing and editing The student should pay attention to the printing quality of the master’s thesis. The hard copy of the master’s thesis should be printed out with a laser printer or equivalent. When attaching images, tables or appendices, care should be taken so that the final thesis is free of smudges and extra marks. The thesis must be printed, single-sided, on standard A4 paper. 4. 4. Title page The title page must follow the format requirements (appendix 2). Title page must state the following: University of Vaasa, Faculty of Technology, study subject (in capital letters, bolded and centred) Author’s name (centred) Title of the thesis (in capital letters, bolded and centred) and possible subtitle (bolded and centred) Study subject and the type of thesis (right alignment). Possible study programme (right alignment) Place (in capital letters and bolded) and year (bolded) 14 Title page should not be numbered 4. 5. Abstract The master’s thesis must include a one-page abstract (in Finnish/Swedish and in English, international students only in English). The abstract page is numbered and bound after list of symbols and abbreviations or, in case there is no list of symbols and abbreviations, after table of contents, before introduction. When the thesis is left for inspection, the student must also submit one separate, unnumbered abstract page. The separate abstract must be submitted in the language in which the thesis is written, and it is needed as an enclosure of the acceptance decision. The abstract page must state the research problem, material, research methods and major results of the thesis. The abstract should be understandable without having to consult the thesis itself. In the abstract, the student should use established terminology. References or quotations are not to be used. The title of the master’s thesis on the abstract page must be identical with the title on the title page. See examples of abstract in Appendix 3. Fill out ALL parts of the abstract page and take into consideration the margins of the page. The student must give 1-5 keywords. The first keyword should state, as specifically as possible, the field of study. It is followed by the other keywords which further specify the subject of the thesis. You may discuss the keywords with the assistant or your supervisor, if necessary. Keywords can also be searched from the VESA subject thesaurus of the library of the University of Helsinki. 15 5. EDITING THE MASTER’S THESIS. The master’s thesis consists of an introduction, main body text (which may include several chapters), and a conclusions chapter. The specific content, approach and emphasis of the thesis are chosen by the student and revised according to the supervisor’s comments. There are many different ways to prepare a (good) master’s thesis on the same topic. The only general rule is that the first chapter of the thesis is an introduction and the last presents the conclusions. 5. 1. Introduction The introduction should capture the reader’s interest. It gives the background for the choice of topic and presents the goals of the thesis. It limits the topic and gives a general outline of the approach to the research problem. Furthermore, the introduction should place the thesis in context by referring to other previous or contemporary academic studies on the topic. It also outlines the content and structure of the thesis. In case the thesis is a part of a larger project, the introduction must clearly define the author’s contribution to the project. The introduction does not give any details of the theory, methods or results of the thesis. The length of a typical introduction is 2-3 pages. 5. 2. Theory and background information In the chapter after the introduction, the student should give the technical, theoretical and other background information needed in order to understand the solutions and methods used in the later chapters. The theory part should focus only on things that are relevant to the thesis. However, it should not waste time on things that are self-evident to the reader (in other words, there is no need for a textbook-type presentation of the 16 basics in the field). The student’s own new methods are not presented in this section but given later in the thesis. The ‘ideal reader’ for the thesis could be defined as a person who is a professional in the field but unfamiliar with the particular topic. Thus all terms and symbols are to be explained when they are introduced but not later in the work. If several theories are used, it is advisable to present them in separate chapters. In addition to theory, the background information may include for example a company’s old products, a system that is about to be replaced, important standards, internal policies of a company, and possible other parts of a project (in case the thesis forms part of a larger project). These elements are to be explained in as much detail as is relevant for understanding the solutions in and the overall significance of the thesis. Whether this should be placed in the theory part of the work is case-specific and depends on the amount of background information of the thesis. The background information could also be integrated in the general outline of the thesis or be given in a separate chapter or appendix. A more detailed structuring and titles of the chapters (including the main title) are planned and executed on the basis of the work itself. It is highly important that the theoretical part of the work is closely connected to the later description and analysis of the work. In some clearly constructive work, the theory part may be relatively short. The length, however, is not the mere objective, but emphasis should be put on the contents. 5. 3. Main subject of the thesis After theory and background information, the student should focus on the main subject of the thesis and apply the theory to a specific research problem. The structure, headings and analysis in this section depend on the subject and on the approach chosen by the 17  student (and approved by the supervisor). There is no one correct way to approach the main subject of the thesis. In case the thesis includes scientific data (such as measurements etc. ), the appropriate study or experiment must be explained in such detail that the reader can understand all steps of the process. Methods must be presented in a manner that enables replication. For example the mathematical leads of new findings must be presented in such detail that the reader does not have to make extensive calculations in order to follow the process. In case of generally known methods, a short description or reference is sufficient. Less known methods, especially those developed by the author of the thesis, are to be described in much deeper detail. There should always be a clear connection between the theory and the application sections of the thesis. 5. 4. Discussion and results The last section of the main body text (before conclusions) consists of a ‘Results’ chapter or of two separate chapters with headings ‘Discussion’ and ‘Results’. In ‘Discussions’, the student may make comparisons between theory and (for example) measurement results as well as suggest lines of further research or application. The ‘Results’ chapter should focus primarily on the final results of the study, what the student found out and how it relates to the literature. The results should also be placed in the context of the possible earlier studies on the topic. 5. 5. Conclusions Conclusions chapter briefly summarises the whole thesis from start to finish. Aspects of the work that were discussed in the introduction are revisited in the conclusions chapter in order to find out whether initial plans were followed and initial goals achieved. 18 At the end of the conclusions chapter, the student may discuss possible future research on the subject. If this requires more extensive discussion, it can be placed in a separate chapter at the end. The conclusions chapter should be no more than 3 pages long and should not introduce any new ideas or include references to source materials. 19 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1. Glossary Faculty, departments, study subjects, study programmes and orientations in Swedish and English Teknillinen tiedekunta Tekniska fakulteten Faculty of Technology Matemaattiset tieteet Institutionen for matematik och statistik Department of Mathematics and Statistics Sahko- ja energiatekniikka Institutionen for elektro- och energiteknik. Department of Electrical Engineering and Energy Technology Tieto- ja tietoliikennetekniikka Institutionen for datavetenskap Department of Computer Science Tuotantotalous Institutionen for produktion Department of Production Study subjects: Automaatiotekniikka energiatekniikka automationsteknik energiteknik automation technology energy technology 20 fysiikka fysik physics matematiikka materiaalitekniikka matematik materialteknik mathematics materials science sahkotekniikka talousmatematiikka elektroteknik ekonomisk matematik electrical engineering business mathematics tietoliikennetekniikka telekommunikationsteknik  telecommunications engineering tietotekniikka tilastotiede datavetenskap statistik computer science statistics tuotantotalous produktionsekonomi industrial management Study programmes and orientations: Teknisen viestinnan koulutusohjelma Utbildningsprogram for teknisk kommunikation Technical Communication Programme 21 Tietotekniikan koulutusohjelma ohjelmistotekniikka tietoliikennetekniikka Utbildningsprogrammet for datateknik programmeringsteknik telekommunikationsteknik Degree Programme in Information Technology Software Engineering Telecommunications Engineering Sahko- ja energiatekniikan koulutusohjelma  automaatiotekniikka sahkotekniikka Utbildningsprogrammet for elektro- och energiteknik automationsteknik elektroteknik Degree Programme in Electrical and Energy Engineering Automation Electrical Engineering 22 APPENDIX 2. Title page of a Master? Thesis (partly shortened in the example) UNIVERSITY OF VAASA FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY SUBJECT (E. G. COMPUTER SCIENCE) Author’s name TOPIC OF THE THESIS Subtitle Master’s Thesis in e. g. Computer Science (Degree Programme) VAASA 20XX 23 APPENDIX 3. Abstract page of a Master? s Thesis UNIVERSITY OF VAASA Faculty of Technology Author: Topic of the Master’s Thesis: Instructor: Degree: First name Last name Name of the thesis (subtitle) First name Last name Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration Major subject: (e. g. Computer Science) Degree Programme: (only if Degree Programme in Multimedia systems and Technical Communication) Year of Entering the University: 20xx Year of Completing the Master’s Thesis: 20xx Pages: xxx ABSTRACT: KEYWORDS 24 APPENDIX 4. Assessment criteria for master’s theses and licentiate theses Grade Theoretical knowledge, literature and sources Strong theoretical knowledge; excellent use of source materials; criticism  of source materials is wellgrounded Research problem Original; shows familiarity with and understanding of the subject. Results are interesting. Strong theoretical knowledge; very good use of source materials; demonstrates the student’s familiarity with the subject 3. No significant flaws in dealing with the subject; study produces clear results Good theoretical knowledge; no significant flaws in use of source materials 2 Inconsistencies or clear mistakes; results are difficult to interpret Satisfactory theoretical knowledge; use of source materials is rather limited; flaws in criticism of source materials  Confusing and difficult to follow; several inconsistencies and mistakes; results are questionable Sufficient familiarity with the subject; theoretical knowledge is limited; number of source materials is limited (often mainly Finnish sources). 5 4 1 General Original; shows independent thinking; results are interesting and make a contribution to knowledge of the subject with which it deals Research method and empirical part Methodologically justified; empirically thorough and systematic Text, structure, language and layout Textually fluent and stylistically excellent; technical documentation is excellent; clear and logical  structure; layout is flawless Clear and well-grounded research problem; questions are well-formulated; good research strategy and approach Methodologically correct; empirically correct Textually fluent; Language and layout are flawless; very good technical documentation; clear and logical structure Good research problem; clearly formulated questions; fairly successful solution to research problem Not clearly formulated or bears some inconsistencies; goal not quite achieved No significant mistakes; empirical part prepared rather well Wrongly or confusingly formulated; academic approach is lacking; goals  not achieved Methodologically weak; serious empirical flaws Textually good; Good technical documentation; no serious weaknesses; very few mistakes; layout fairly flawless Textually rather clumsy; incomplete technical documentation; grammatical errors; some weaknesses in structure; layout problems Textually clumsy; technical documentation is weak and unpolished; grammatical errors; flawed structure; weak layout Interesting and welldefined research problem; challenging questions; mature research strategy and approach Clear methodological and empirical flaws. Thesis process Excellent thesis process;  the student is motivated; agreements were kept; the student took responsibility and shows outstanding ability for independent research Excellent thesis process; the student is motivated; agreements were kept; the student took responsibility and shows good ability for independent research Good thesis process; the student is mostly motivated; agreements were mostly kept Flawed thesis process; the student needed extra guidance; occasional lack of motivation and responsibility The student’s motivation is rather weak; the student needed extra guidance; lack of responsibility; the process was prolonged.

Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essays -- Affirmative Action Es

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, an opportunity to ‘equal the playing field’ by providing a broader context by which to measure an applicant or prospective employee. In the end, however, this goal is not realized. Instead, superficial ‘quotas’ are established and the discrimination that was once placed on the minorities now turns the other way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the arguments against affirmative action is that it injures white men and violates their rights. If were to take a closer look at the affirmative action laws, we can see why this would be true. For example, let’s take a hypothetical situation of two males, one white and another individual who happens to be a minority, both sending in college applications to Harvard to compete for admission. Unfortunately, the university only has one available spot and must decide between the white individual and the minority. The white male has slightly better grades and quite a few more volunteer hours, while both of them excelled in sports and completed two foreign languages. Under the current affirmative action policies, the minority would probably get the final position because of the perceived need for ethnic diversity in the college atmosphere, despite the fact that he did not have the stronger academic credentials. Would this be considered just? In this case n ot only would affirmative action be serving an injustice to the white individual, but it would also help create a loophole by indirectly establishing a legal form of discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The counterpoint to this argument is that although affirmative action creates a larger obstacle for white men to achieve, such measures are necessary in order to break the cycle of de facto employment and school discrimination. However, this does not seem to be a valid counterpoint. If we take a look at another hypothetical situation we can see why it is not ... ...† However, this argument is not compelling, as the best way to increase productivity and improve the economy is to hire on merit. Hiring based on something other than objective merit may result in economic inefficiency and a less qualified staff. If minorities have a qualified resume and are available, they will meet the criteria of the employer. Once again, it is more effective to treat the disease itself, rather than to stoop down to the same level and discriminate to treat the symptoms. In athletics, for example, in spite of past discrimination blacks have excelled, not because standards were lowered but because barriers were eliminated. Now more than ever blacks comprise the largest ethnic group in professional sports and have come to dominate some of the most lucrative sports such as football and basketball, and are now using their earned social capital to give back to their communities to help others along the way. This is a prime example of how minorities can be help ed without lowering the standard by which others are also measured by. To improve our standards as a whole, we must remove the ball and chain on minorities, rather than adding a heavier ball and chain on whites. Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essays -- Affirmative Action Es   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, an opportunity to ‘equal the playing field’ by providing a broader context by which to measure an applicant or prospective employee. In the end, however, this goal is not realized. Instead, superficial ‘quotas’ are established and the discrimination that was once placed on the minorities now turns the other way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the arguments against affirmative action is that it injures white men and violates their rights. If were to take a closer look at the affirmative action laws, we can see why this would be true. For example, let’s take a hypothetical situation of two males, one white and another individual who happens to be a minority, both sending in college applications to Harvard to compete for admission. Unfortunately, the university only has one available spot and must decide between the white individual and the minority. The white male has slightly better grades and quite a few more volunteer hours, while both of them excelled in sports and completed two foreign languages. Under the current affirmative action policies, the minority would probably get the final position because of the perceived need for ethnic diversity in the college atmosphere, despite the fact that he did not have the stronger academic credentials. Would this be considered just? In this case n ot only would affirmative action be serving an injustice to the white individual, but it would also help create a loophole by indirectly establishing a legal form of discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The counterpoint to this argument is that although affirmative action creates a larger obstacle for white men to achieve, such measures are necessary in order to break the cycle of de facto employment and school discrimination. However, this does not seem to be a valid counterpoint. If we take a look at another hypothetical situation we can see why it is not ... ...† However, this argument is not compelling, as the best way to increase productivity and improve the economy is to hire on merit. Hiring based on something other than objective merit may result in economic inefficiency and a less qualified staff. If minorities have a qualified resume and are available, they will meet the criteria of the employer. Once again, it is more effective to treat the disease itself, rather than to stoop down to the same level and discriminate to treat the symptoms. In athletics, for example, in spite of past discrimination blacks have excelled, not because standards were lowered but because barriers were eliminated. Now more than ever blacks comprise the largest ethnic group in professional sports and have come to dominate some of the most lucrative sports such as football and basketball, and are now using their earned social capital to give back to their communities to help others along the way. This is a prime example of how minorities can be help ed without lowering the standard by which others are also measured by. To improve our standards as a whole, we must remove the ball and chain on minorities, rather than adding a heavier ball and chain on whites.

Reference to two South African examples Essay

In at least one point in the day, every-one finds themselves tuned into one broadcast station or another, be it radio or television Be it for entertainment, relaxation, to be informed or merely a means of escapism. For whichever reasons it is, radio and television play an active role in our everyday life whether we are aware of it or not. Using South African examples, this assignment seeks to discuss two radio and two television genres. It is virtually impossible to discuss the issue genre before defining this term. Both the Oxford dictionary as well as Creeber (2001), defines ‘genre’ as â€Å"type† or â€Å"kind†. Genres allow for the types or kinds of things to be categorised. For example in radio broadcasting, there are various different programs aired, such as talk shows, music shows, news broadcasts, drama shows and so on. Each of these shows are categorised into a particular genre based on their characteristics. The two radio genres that will be discussed are talk shows and music shows. The phenomenon of genre is not exclusive to radio and television alone. In fact according to Greeber, â€Å"it [genre] has played an important role in the study of literature, theatre, film, television and other art and media forms† (Creeber, G: 2001 pg. 1). Radio-Talk Genre Radio stations like ‘SAFM’ and ‘702’ are almost entirely dedicated to the genre of ‘talk show’ however almost every radio station incorporates this genre if not at least for a few minutes. The success of talk shows lie in participation by the audience. The audience is urged to call into the radio station and either view their opinion on the topic of discussion or pose questions to either an officiator or a panel. On ‘SAFM’ for example, there was a program entitled â€Å"The Life and Times of Dr. Bayers Nordea†. The show was as the title implies, discussing and talking about Dr. Nordeas’ life. The show hosted family, colleagues and friends, who spoke about his life. Listeners also got the opportunity to add their comments, thoughts, as well as pose questions to the panel. The show was also officiated by the host or disk jockey (D. J) of the show, who not only directed most of the discussion, but also made sure that the show, ran smoothly. The nature of talk shows is such that the audience phones in either agreeing or disagreeing to the topic or question being discussed. This opens the door for others to voice their opinions. According to Barnard (2000), â€Å"phone-in †¦encourages a free flow of opinion and conversation within the safety of an artificially created community† (Barnard, S: 2000). With out this element, the talk show would be deemed unsuccessful. Talk shows do not follow a particular protocol, meaning that any topic can be addressed. The mere action of a D. J. posing a question relating to any topic and receiving feedback from the audience constitutes the genre of talk show to be exercised. As any topic makes way for talk shows, it is common to find small inserts of talk show, even within a primarily music radio station. Highfeld Stereo is an example of a South African music radio station. It is common to find a situation where a D. J. poses a question and opens the lines to receive feedback. The D. J is thus officiating a talk show, within a music show. Listeners of talk shows however, are required to concentrate on the discussion if they are to understand what is being discussed, thus ones attention cannot divert from one thing to another. For example, one cannot talk to a friend on the phone, as well as remain focused on the discussion. Radio-Music Genre. Although there is audience participation in the music genre, it differs from that of the talk genre. Regarding music radio, the audience is urged to call in to send dedications to friends or loved ones, choose songs they wish to hear, or vote for their favourite song rather than voice their opinions on a matter. Music as a genre is not so clear-cut like talk shows. Within the music genres, there are sub-genres, where by music is categorised according to style. Rock, rave, hip-hop and pop would all be examples of sub-genres of the music genre. The music genre requires less attention from the listener to be focused on the show. Namely, the listener can do various other activities without loosing out on the entertainment. For example, while driving a car and focusing on the road, or while working at ones desk, one can continue to listen to his or her favourite song and not be side tracked. Unlike the talk genre where if one was driving a car and focusing on the road they would more than likely loose track of what was being discussed-alternatively, they would possibly have an accident. As the genre implies, the emphasis in music shows is in fact music. Therefore it is common to find very little talking by the D. J. and more music being played. The show usually consists of popular songs in the specific sub-genre being aired. This genre also usually has a top 40 show, where the 40 most popular songs are aired. This is commonly known as â€Å"contempory hit radio† (Tomaselli/de Villiers: 1998). 5FM radio station for example has the ‘Coca-Cola Top 40’ music show which is aired every Sunday morning from 10:00- 14:00. Other radio stations like ‘East Coast Radio host the ‘Top 10 at 10’ show, which airs the 10 most popular songs every Tuesday night at 22:00. These songs which make it onto the ‘top 10’ or ‘top 40’ lists, are songs which have been voted for by the public. Jacaranda FM in contrast to the mainstream radio stations of say 5FM for example would air music of a different sub-genre, however one would still find the most popular tracks of that specific sub-genre being aired, as well as ‘top 10’ shows occurring. In the music genre, the D. Js primary job is to play music and possible talk a little bit about the artist of the track, rather than being an officiator or a mediator of discussion, as is found in talk radio. Television-Documentary Genre. As the term documentary implies, these shows are usually fact based and require research to be done on the particular topic being showed. Events are documented by a team of researchers and aired to the public. An example of a documentary would be found in the SABC 2 show â€Å"50/50†. This is a documentary program that focuses on various aspects of the wild life. Documentaries however could focus on a variety of topics, including an event, person or idea. As the emphasis of documentaries is on information, enlightenment and facts, viewers usually watch documentaries as a means of being informed, rather than being entertained. The nature of documentaries is such that each episode is fully formed and has a definite conclusion – even if left as an enquiry for the viewer to think about what they have just viewed. This allows the viewer to evaluate their knowledge of the topic against that of the show. Documentaries are also not usually serial form, as would be the case in a sitcom for example. Rather, they tend to be self-contained episodes with definite endings. Documentaries usually also adopt a narrative structure & psychological relationship of the viewers to the program. The viewer is often addressed directly, in order â€Å"to persuade the actual person watching at home that he or she is the â€Å"you† to whom the addresser is speaking† (Allen,C: 1992 pg. 118). This also keeps the viewer interested in the show as well making them feel as if they actively involved in what is going on. Due to the fact that documentaries are not entertainment focused and are rather a means of transferring information, events, people or animals being documented are portrayed as realistically as possible. Animals, which are filmed in the â€Å"50/50† program, for example are filmed in their natural environments, rather than in zoos, in order to give the viewer the most realistic experience. As they are based on real occurrences, documentaries, unlike entertainment programmes such as sitcoms, do not focus as much on a specific plot. Television-Soap Opera As soap operas were originally targeted at the female audience (Brown, M: 1994), it is not surprising to find that many of the central characters within this genre are women. More importantly, they are strong, powerful and influential characters, rather than the stereotype housewife women. SABC 3 airs the soap opera â€Å"Isidingo†. Charel de Villiers and Leigh Haynes are two examples of strong, powerful and ambitious characters that play central roles in the show. It is important for these kinds of characters to exist, in order for the audience to which the show is targeted at to be able to relate. â€Å"They [women] recognise some of there own identity in this product created by the media† (Brown, M: 1994). People watch soap operas for a number of reasons. The fact that they are entertaining, allows the viewer to unwind, relax or escape from the stresses from every day life, for the duration of the show, as the audience get lost in the reality of the program (Anderson, M: 2004). Viewers could also be using the decision-making techniques and outcomes of the soap opera to â€Å"work through† their own issues (Anderson, M: 2004). â€Å"Isidingo† is an example of a program that deals with AIDS-an issue that the whole of South Africa is facing; it also provides solutions in the form of Nandipe-a married women infected with HIV. Her positive attitude allows her to live a productive life. Viewers may see Nandipe as a role model. Those viewers infected with HIV may in fact even echo her actions in order to try and increase productivity in their own lives. Characters in soap operas are usually found in the form of â€Å"multiple characters† (Brown, M: 1994) meaning that characters emphasize the group over the individual (Brown, M: 1994 pg 53), thus many people can relate to one specific character. This also makes way for viewers to find similarities between themselves and various other characters rather than one particular character. Brown believes that rather than relating to characters in soap operas, viewers â€Å"implicate† themselves to various characters, meaning that the viewer will see similarities between a particular character, or even characters, but when the character acts in a way that the viewer does not agree with, or feel comfortable with, the viewer will distance him or herself from the character (Brown, M: 1994). Soap operas adopt a visualization style, which gets the viewer to focus and identify with a specific character (Brown, M: 1994 pg. 53). On a radio talk show for example, a TV viewer called in with the opinion that the â€Å"Isidingo† villianess, Cherel de Villiers should be punished, as if the viewer could not differentiate between reality & fiction. (Anderson, M: 2004). Apparently actors who play villainous characters are shunned offset by the public (Anderson, M: 2004). It is not only the relatable characters and entertaining style of soap operas that keep the audience hooked. It is also the continuous open-ended nature of episodes, set in the present and containing a number of alternating story lines which gives the audience sense of continuous pleasure (Brown, M: 1994, pg. 58). The fact that soap operas resists narrative closure, meaning that the story is continuous and never ending, means there is always hope for the future (Anderson, M: 2004). Thus viewers will continue to watch future episodes in order to come closer to seeing what will happen at the end (which never really comes). â€Å"John Davies (1984)†¦ suggests about soap opera viewers that once ‘hooked’, they vacillate between their need to know, or the pleasure of anticipation† that keeps viewers watching (Brown, M: 1994). In discussing two radio and two television genres with reference to two South African examples, it is evident that the complexities and intricacies of various broadcasts and genres are not as simple as one would imagine. As seen above, various genres and broadcasts draw in different audiences, and evoke various different responses in the viewer or listener. As technology continues to move forward, where will these broadcasts find themselves in the future? For now though, radio and television will continue to play an active part in almost all of our lives. BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Robert C. 1992. Televisions modes of address & the social context of T. V. viewing. In Channels of Discourse, reassembled. 2nd ed. Edited by Robert C. Allen. London: Routledge. Anderson, Muff. Soapies mirror SA’s soul. Mail & Guardian. 24 March 2004. Barnard, S. 2000. Studying Radio. New York: Arnold Hodder. Brown, Mary Ellen. 1994. Ch. 3: Soap opera and women’s talk: The pleasure of resistance. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Creeber, G. (ed. ). 2001. Introduction: What is genre? In Creeber, G (ed),The television genre book. London: British Film Institute, 1-7. Teer-Tomaselli, R and de Villiers, C. 1998. Radio: Theatre of the Mind. In De Beer, A (ed). Mass media toward the Millennium. Pretoria: Van Schaik, 147-175.

Automated Voting System

This chapter discuss about the The Student Council elections have always been a perennial activity for every school. It is an activity wherein each student is required to choose from a set of candidates who will represent each position in the Student Council. In order for the student to accomplish this, the student must go through several processes. First the student must go to the Administration Office if he is a registered voter, then goes to the voting area and chooses the candidates he likes. After that, the student submits the filled-up ballot form to the voting administrator in order for his votes to be cast. Then the student is marked with an indelible ink to signify that he has already voted. After all the votes have been cast, the voting procedure goes again through several processes. The votes are collected and are then counted, which could take several hours to several days, depending on the volume of votes. Background of the Study The chapter discuss computers greatly enhance the speed and efficiency of voting process. Results could be attained even right after the elections reducing the time to a mere fraction compared to the time it takes if the voting is done manually. It also increases the level of the voting experience because of multimedia enhancements. The present generation, people became more literate especially with the use of computers. Technologies emerged to introduce many different ways of advancement. Computer machines are of these. Computers now in existence are the most powerful machines than can do anything people’s lives. It is in this effect that the proponent has decided to propose a system to improve the existing manual voting system. The proponent aims to convert the existing manual system into an automated voting system. Information Technology Elections are held in every school year for the BSIT students of Arellano University-Pasig. Where the positions are President, Vice- Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, P. I. O, and First year to Fourth year Representative. Using computers would make the election faster. With the new system, votes are tallied and transmitted electronically.

AMERICAN SLAVERY AMERICAN FR essays

AMERICAN SLAVERY AMERICAN FR essays AMERICAN SLAVERY AMERICAN FREEDOM In the book, American Slavery American Freedom, Edmund S. Morgan believes and supports the idea that slaves were brought about by a long process and that slaves were not needed or profitable during early colonization. He writes about the process colonists took to finally bring slavery to America. Indentured servants were originally the workers of the early colonies. Slavery originally started in America by the deportation of restless roistering rogues from England to Virginia. Morgan writes, England kept them down by the workhouse, by the gallows, by whipping them back to the parish they came from, by sending them off on military expeditions-and by shipping them to Virginia. When these men were sent over to America they had to work and received little pay. Edmund explains that the Virginians found out a way to cheat the workers. They created an artificial scarcity of land, which meant that the workers who were in servitude waiting to be freemen had no where to live so they went back into servitude. They also took off as much as they could off the workers profits through rents, taxes, and fees for the benefits of the burgesses, councilors and collectors. But by doing this, Morgan believes, put colonies at constant risk of rebellion. As the years went on workers began to get pushed more and more to make profits for who ever it is they have been serving, and Virginia moved closer to slavery than ever. Servitude in Virginias tabacco fields approached closer to slavery than anything known at the time in England. Men served longer, were subject to more rigorous punishment, and were traded about as commodities already in the 1620s. England had never dealt with slavery before than, but was moving so close towards it that it was inevitable that it would happen. ...

Best ACT Math Practice Tests How to Find and Use Them

Best ACT Math Practice Tests How to Find and Use Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Whatever your ACT Math prep plan, whether you’re doing self-study, a class, or working with a tutor, you need to be working with real ACT Math practice materials. The ACT Math test will be unlike any other Math test you’ve taken. You need to work with the real material to get used to the pacing and style of this unique test. In this short guide, I’ll let you know where to find free and paid official ACT Math practice tests. Best ACT Math Practice - Free and Official These tests are totally free. We've gathered together all of them in one place for your convenience. ACT Math Free Online Sample Test This test format can be a little clunky to use, but it's convenient and online. Answer all choices on the page. Then, click answer at the bottom to see the answers to the question. Once you’ve checked your answers, you’ll be able to move on to the next page.There are 12 questions per page with five pages for a total of 60 questions (just like the real ACT Math section which has 60 questions). To keep the timing realistic, I recommend that you give yourself 12 minutes per page (which is 1 minute per question) since you get 60 minutes for 60 questions on the actual ACT Math section. Take as much time as you need to check your answers on the given page. Then, move on to the next page and give yourself another 12 minutes. PDFs: ACT Practice Test 2015-2016 (Form 72CPRE):Math Section Pages 24-31, Answers Page 57 ACT Practice Test 2014-15 (Form 67C):Math Section Pages 24-31, Answers Page 56 ACT Practice Test 20-12 (Form 64E):Math Section Pages 26-33, Answers Page 61 ACT Practice Test 2008-09 (Form 61C):Math Section Pages 26-33, Answers Page 61 ACT Practice Test 2005-06 (Form 59F):Math Section Pages 26-33, Answers Page 61 You might notice a few years are missing, and that's because the ACT duplicates the same test in different years. For example, the 2013-14 test is identical to the 2014-15 test. We've included the Form ID with each test so that you can check this for yourself (you can see the Form ID in the bottom left of each page on the test). Best ACT Math Practice - Paid and Official While studying for the ACT Math section, you’ll want more than six official ACT practice tests.I highly recommend The Real ACT 3rd Edition. The book only costs about $20, and it’s got five official Math practice tests. The book is written by the makers of the ACT, so it’s the real deal.Don't both buying Kaplan or Princeton Review for practice tests - their quality is far inferior to the tests put out by the ACT. If you want to get in a couple more practice ACT Math tests, I also recommend the ACT Online Program, though it’s less cost effective at $25 for two extra practice tests.It also includes an online prep program, but it’s not good. If you make the purchase, just do it the practice tests, if you need it. The ACT Math practice possibilities are (near) endless! Other ACT Math Materials In general, I recommend against using any ACT Math practice tests that were not written by the ACT as theywon’t providerealistic practice.You want to use real practice materials so that you ensure you’re taking tests that reflect the actual content and difficulty of the real ACT. If you take practices tests made by other companies, they may be more or less difficult and may not include all of the content on the real ACT.However,unofficial tests can be a great way to practicemath skills if not trying to practiceACT-style questions. ACTMath, more than any other section, is based on knowing the math content, so having plenty of materials to practice the different math skills required is important and bad formatting doesn't matter as much. Check out our massive collection of ACTstudy material for some official and unofficial tests. If you still want more ACT study material, check out our guide to the best ACT prep books. How to Use These ACT Math Practice Tests in Your Prep Even if you purchase all of the real ACT Math practice tests, you will only have 13, and each one of these tests will take you an hour, so you want to make sure you get the most out of each one. Here are my top three tips to best use your ACT Math practice tests: Tip #1:Take Math Practice Tests Under Realistic Conditions Take the math section in one sitting with accurate timing. Use a watch to time the one-hour math section. Sit for the full hour! It’s not that long! You need to sit for the full test so that you get used to the timing and learn to pace yourself. You only get 60 minutes for 60 questions. The questions progress from easy to hard.You’ll need to work on spending less thana minute per question on the first part of the ACT Math section so that you have a little more than a minute per question to answer the harder questions at the end of the Math section. Do not give yourself any extra time.This can allow you to do extra questions and improve your score. We want to use these practice tests as reliable indicators of your real score so stick to the real timing. NOTE: realistic practice means obeying all of the rules of the test. You're only allowed to have your calculator for the math section. You should not have your phone out. You should be using a pencil. Read our full guide to realistic practice. Tip #2: Review Your Mistakes When you finish your Math practice tests, score your Math test.Look at every mistake you made and try to figure out where you went wrong.If you skip this step, you're not going to learn from your mistakes, and you'll continue making them over and over again. I recommend spending at least 30 minutes to an hour reviewing your ACT math test.It may seem like a lot of time, but it’s necessary to take this time so that you learn from your mistakes.It’s better for you to take three ACT Math practice tests with detailed review than six with no review. Think quality over quantity! Tip #3: Supplement With Skill Work There are some students who can see improvement in ACT math by just taking practice tests and familiarizing themselves with the pace and style, but that is rare. The majority ofstudents need to do a more in-depth review of math skillsthat they might have forgotten, never learned, or never quite mastered. If you find you're not improving on your practice tests, I recommend that you look atour individual Math content guides. These articles tacklespecific math subject areas (i.e. Linear Equations, Trigonometry, etc.) that you need to know to succeed on the ACT Math section. When you review your first practice test, figure out the reason you got each math question wrong:was it due to misreading a question? Or not knowing the content?If you didn't know the content necessary tosolve the question, then you need to review that content! Tip #4: Get Additional Help If You Need It! If you’re not improving your score, you should supplement the practice tests with extra prep work, either a tutor, class, book (such as the ones linked to above) or a program.While some students may be able to learn from their mistakes on practice tests, the majority need additional guidance to point out their weaknesses and to help them improve. However, a good prep program should be personalized to your needs, focusing on your area of weakness while not wasting your time covering topics that you’ve already mastered. What’s Next? Now that you know where to find ACT Math practice tests, you might want to take a look at our ACT math guides to help you study any individual ACT math topic from ratios to rotations, points to probabilities;we've got you covered. Stuck on an ACT math problem? Whether you're stuck on a study guide, a practice test, or you're worried about getting stuck on test day, don't sweat it. We'll show you how to figure out when you're really stuck and what to do about it. Need more help with ACT Math? We've compiled the best ACT Math guides into one ultimate ACT math study guide. No more searching for ACT math tips and resources- they're available here. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Reduction Definition and Examples in Chemistry

Reduction Definition and Examples in Chemistry Reduction involves a half-reaction in which a chemical species decreases its oxidation number, usually by gaining electrons. The other half of the reaction involves oxidation, in which electrons are lost. Together, reduction and oxidation form redox reactions (reduction-oxidation redox). Reduction may be considered the opposite process of oxidation. In some reactions, oxidation and reduction may be viewed in terms of oxygen transfer. Here, oxidation is the gain of oxygen, while reduction is the loss of oxygen. An old, less-common definition of oxidation and reduction examines the reaction in terms of protons or hydrogen. Here, oxidation is ​the loss of hydrogen, while reduction is the gain of hydrogen. The most accurate reduction definition involves electrons and oxidation number. Examples of Reduction The H ions, with an oxidation number of 1, are reduced to H2, with an oxidation number of 0, in the reaction: Zn(s) 2H(aq) → Zn2(aq) H2(g) Another simple example is the reaction between copper oxide and magnesium to yield copper and magnesium oxide: CuO Mg → Cu MgO Rusting of iron is a process that involves oxidation and reduction. Oxygen is reduced, while iron is oxidized. While its easy to identify which species are oxidized and reduced using the oxygen definition of oxidation and reduction, its harder to visualize electrons. One way to do this is to rewrite the reaction as an ionic equation. Copper(II) oxide and magnesium oxide are ionic compounds, while the metals are not: Cu2 Mg → Cu Mg2 The copper ion undergoes reduction by gaining electrons to form copper. The magnesium undergoes oxidation by losing electrons to form the 2 cation. Or, you can view it as magnesium reducing the copper(II) ions by donating electrons. Magnesium acts as a reducing agent. In the meantime, the copper(II) ions remove electrons from magnesium to form magnesium ions. The copper(II) ions are the oxidizing agent. Another example is the reaction that extracts iron from iron ore: Fe2O3 3CO → 2Fe 3 CO2 The iron oxide undergoes reduction (loses oxygen) to form iron while the carbon monoxide is oxidized (gains oxygen) to form carbon dioxide. In this context, iron(III) oxide is the oxidizing agent, which gives oxygen to another molecule. Carbon monoxide is the reducing agent, which removes oxygen from a chemical species. OIL RIG and LEO GER To Remember Oxidation and Reduction There are two acronyms that may help you keep oxidation and reduction straight. OIL RIG- This stands for Oxidation Is Loss and Reduction Is Gain. The species that is oxidized loses electrons, which are gained by the species that is reduced.LEO GER or Leo the lion says grr.- This stands for Loss of Electrons Oxidation while Gain of Electrons Reduction. Another way to remember which part of the reaction is oxidized and which is reduced is to simply recall reduction mean reduction in charge.

Impact of consequences of globalization on consumers Research Paper

Impact of consequences of globalization on consumers - Research Paper Example Currently, increased migration of people has turned the world into a global village. In addition, transfer of information in an economic and timely manner through communication technologies has promoted cross-border interactions (Hassan & Michael, 2014). In an effort to describe the current rate of globalization, scholars agree that today, human interactions across borders are not only faster and cheaper, but also farther and deeper. As insinuated earlier, globalization impacts all the social, economic and political aspects of life. Within an economical context, international trade and investments have promoted effective transfer of goods and services across national and regional borders. Politically, governments have legislated policies that facilitate cheaper, faster and deeper movement of goods and services across borders. The social aspect of global acculturation has leveled social barriers of language and transformed the world into an interacting community (Pauline & Parsons, 2009). Globalization of commerce today entails changes in the marketing and production aspects of business. In production, companies are no longer restricted by national barriers in sourcing means of production, specifically raw materials and labor services. On the other hand, the increased decline in social, political and economic barriers has eased the selling of products and services to consumers around the globe. Technically, globa lization of marketing and production aspects of business has yielded consequences that substantially impact business stakeholders, especially consumers (Pauline & Parsons, 2009). In the context of marketing, globalization has effects on the manner in which consumers behave. Primarily, consumers refer to persons or organizations involved in the purchase of goods and services offered in the global markets. Personal consumers are known

Strategic Management in Action. HSBC Group Essay

Strategic Management in Action. HSBC Group - Essay Example After the organization of Hong Kong as a British colony in the consequences of the Opium War, a bank was required to finance the mounting trade between China and Europe. Its major and foundation-laying supplementary The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation were recognized in Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1865. HSBC Holdings plc is a public limited company integrated in England and Wales, headquartered in London Strategic management refers to the art of planning your business at the maximum possible level. It is the responsibility of the company’s leader (or leaders). Strategic management centers on building a solid underlying structure to your business that will then be fleshed out through the joint efforts of every individual you employ. It is the procedure of specifying the organizations mission, vision and objectives, rising policies and plans, often in terms of projects and programs, which are planned to attain these objectives and then allocating resources to employ the policies, and plans, projects and programs. Strategic management seeks to organize and incorporate the activities of the different functional areas of a business in order to attain long-term organizational objectives. The business is being redesign to focus chiefly on high growth economies, by hopeful to trend to 60% of revenues coming from these economies. When looking at the urbanized markets business, center is to build particularly on those parts of the customer base which have international connectivity for which their "right to win" is mainly important. Global Banking and Markets: 4,000 international customers, where rising markets, stability sheet and worldwide platforms (HSBC net, Payments & Cash Management, Global Sub-Custody, Trade Services) are HSBCs calling card. Commercial Banking: 2.7 million customers locally, where top end customers and 40% of HSBCs SME customers have international requirements, HSBCs calling card. The

The Turkish and Kurdish Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Turkish and Kurdish Conflict - Essay Example In 1920-1930s Kurds several times unsuccessfully rose against the Turkish authorities. In 1961 the Kurdish revolt in Iraq proceeding for several decades with breaks began. The growth of the Kurdish nationalism led to appearance of the Kurdistan Workers Party (Partiya Karkerà ªn Kurdistan, PKK) in 1978 (Combs & Slann, 2007). It is the military-political organization that was formed at an initial stage of the fight (1984 - 1993) with the purpose of creation of the sovereign state of Kurds in Turkey. However, in 1993 the purpose was changed for creation of the Kurdish autonomy as a part of Turkey. In the same time the Turkish Kurds were exposed to persecutions: the use of the Kurdish language was forbidden, and the Kurdish nationality was considered to be nonexistent (authorities began to call Kurds "Mountain Turks"). On August 15, 1984 PKK began guerrilla war in the east and southeast provinces of Turkey. The regular Turkish army was involved to fight against guerrillas, in 1987 state of emergency was declared in the region. The main Kurdish bases were located in the north of Iraq. Under the agreement between the governments of two countries, the Turkish security forces had the right to interfere into the territory of Iraq, pursuing guerrilla groups. Within the 1990th years Turkey performed a number of military actions in Iraq (the largest in 1995 and 1997). The capture of the leader of PKK Abdullah Oà §alan by the American and Israeli services in Kenya on February 15, 1999 became the largest success of Turkey in fight against PKK. Before the capture on September 1, 1998 Abdullah Oà §alan urged RKK to call a truce, and after the capture — to send all combatant forces to the north of Iraq. After that guerrilla fight of PKK started to slow down.

Contract law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contract law - Case Study Example Sunburst deliberately breached the agreed full specification to make extra profit by selling the plaintiff’s wood to a different client. 2. The case is exceptional and normal remedy is inadequate in compensating the breach of contract and thus an order on the defendant to account for all profits. Sunburst had harmed the plaintiff by leading to the loss of amenity and making a profit of 6000. The sale of the mahogany to a different client in the pursuit of greater profits was a breach of the contract. The court should ensure that the defendant does not benefit from the breach of contract by disgorging the profits to the plaintiff. The remedy of 1000 is not enough as remedy to the plaintiff as they will suffer the loss of amenity and the value of their preferred type of mahogany. 3. The case should ignore the general rule of duty to mitigate loss which is applicable to the claim of damages as in the case of White & Carter (Councils) Ltd v McGregor  [1961]. Hasting should not be obliged to accept the breach of contract and should be compensated in full the value of the initial mahogany to be used  £30000  or get a replacement of the mahogany used as opposed to the  £1000  damages. Sunburst harmed the plaintiff by leading to the loss of amenity and making a profit of 6000. The sale of the mahogany to a different client in the pursuit of greater profits was a breach of the contract. The court should ensure that the defendant does not benefit from the breach of contract by disgorging the profits to the

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Final Exam - Essay Example Pain is one such emotion that will serve as a permanent reminder for the culprit thereby compelling an intuitive behavior change. In their own unique explanations, the two authors explain the need for reforming a behavior before reintroducing an individual into the society. According to the two, effective punishments further serve examples to the rest of the population in the society thus deterring any similar undesired behaviors. In chapter 20, Joshua Green and Jonathan Cohen explain the relationship between punishments and neuroscience. Criminal offenders require effective mental evaluation before recommending appropriate punishments. Through effective psychiatric evaluation, the jurists and correctional facilities will understand the unique behavior patterns of every individual criminal thus designing an appropriate corrective measure. The two contend that the primary objective of punishment is to reform behavior. This requires the concerted effort of effective punishments coupled with appropriate psychological counselling in order to develop a coherent individual who will appreciate the societal values. Neuroscience thus helps devise effective punishments that will not only make the offenders acknowledge their mistakes but also reform their behaviors in case of their reintroduction into the society â€Å"effective punishments result in permanent reformation of behaviors† (Tony 243) In explaining the role of punishment, Lode Walgrave appreciates reintroduction of the criminals into the society. He therefore vouches for restorative justice, which he explains will provide justice to the aggrieved parties by punishing the culpable individuals but also reforms the individuals thereby creating a cohesive society in which people take responsibility of their actions. Restorative justice is thus a holistic approach to punishment since it infuses reformation and healing into punishment. The key

Contract law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contract law - Case Study Example Sunburst deliberately breached the agreed full specification to make extra profit by selling the plaintiff’s wood to a different client. 2. The case is exceptional and normal remedy is inadequate in compensating the breach of contract and thus an order on the defendant to account for all profits. Sunburst had harmed the plaintiff by leading to the loss of amenity and making a profit of 6000. The sale of the mahogany to a different client in the pursuit of greater profits was a breach of the contract. The court should ensure that the defendant does not benefit from the breach of contract by disgorging the profits to the plaintiff. The remedy of 1000 is not enough as remedy to the plaintiff as they will suffer the loss of amenity and the value of their preferred type of mahogany. 3. The case should ignore the general rule of duty to mitigate loss which is applicable to the claim of damages as in the case of White & Carter (Councils) Ltd v McGregor  [1961]. Hasting should not be obliged to accept the breach of contract and should be compensated in full the value of the initial mahogany to be used  £30000  or get a replacement of the mahogany used as opposed to the  £1000  damages. Sunburst harmed the plaintiff by leading to the loss of amenity and making a profit of 6000. The sale of the mahogany to a different client in the pursuit of greater profits was a breach of the contract. The court should ensure that the defendant does not benefit from the breach of contract by disgorging the profits to the

Proposal 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposal 1 - Assignment Example The primary focus of DroneIn will cater for developing more friendly and wholesome drones. Since there is an increasing rate of insecurity, my firm will create drones that cater for the growing market. I am not ignorant of the fact that, there are other established firms, which seems to have a relatively large share in this market. As such, i have established prior mechanisms that will enable me to cater for what the big players have left out. Although there are many player in this sector, there has VectorCal appears to be more established than a vast majority of other firms in this sector. It is a long way ahead, though there are promising results a willing heart. There are a number of weaknesses that I have seen in VectorCal, this create a open gap for exploitation. As mentioned earlier, VectorCal has not fully met the growing needs of a vast majority of consumers, additionally; this firm has a relatively weak forecasting method that have mainly focussed on short term goals success, poses clear threats. Ultimately, DroneIn will seek to be the leading entity in this sector with regards to provision of friendly but yet sophisticated drones that will serve the needs of the ever change consumers. Additionally, my firm will establish long term relationships with the consumers through offering affordable and easily controllable drones (Barnhart, 2012: pg 240-241). Conclusively, my firm will strive to give the consumers a reason to continuously work with us. My target consumers mainly involve governments, private security agencies and individuals. There are prior measures that have been established to cater for the different needs that are evident in the three groups. As for the government, I have ensured that there will be more faster and yet stable drones. Since private agencies have a growing need for drones that are smaller, I have sourced out relevant technologies that will

Prose Commentary, Pat Barker Essay Example for Free

Prose Commentary, Pat Barker Essay The title of the book from which this excerpt is taken, Regeneration, highlights what I see as the main theme in this thought provoking prose piece. This piece of prose raises images for me of the moist dampness, humid soil, death and the prospect of life arising from the continuation of the cycle of life and death. These Images are shown in phrases such as the final sentence, which says, Now they could dissolve into the earth as they were meant to. This sentence is the one which stuck out most to me in the whole excerpt; I found it very powerful in that it brings out the theme of regeneration to the reader and it is a sentence which sticks in your mind. I can see this as an overall whole picture, where Burns, who I view as a returning soldier, perhaps from the Gulf War given the date, experiences, and successfully faces one of his terrible fears, picked up from the war, of bloody, dead corpses, and through this finds the prospect of soul peace before him. I also see that nature and the cycle of life as a big theme in this excerpt as it shows up in nearly every line. Words such as, rain, mud, trees and wind support this. The narrative structure of this excerpt is also important, because it is as if the story of Burns is being told by someone else and so it is likely not subject to the bias of the actual persons account. In the first three paragraphs, rain and the wetness of the land is a large part of describing, setting the scene and the tone of the rest of the excerpt. The author creates a feeling about Burns, that he is somewhat stranded, for the writing states, He didnt know what to do and so long since hed been anywhere alone. As well as creating a lost feeling this sentence confirms the thoughts, though not directly, that Burns is a returning soldier. The use of the words, Raindrops dripped with the repeated d sound, creates the patter of large raindrops. Persistent and monotonous link up with each other to remind the reader of the continuity of the wetness. When Burns reaches a fence, he sees that, A tuft of grey wool had caught on one of the barbs. Perhaps an animal had once quite recently struggled to free itself from this discontinuity in nature as Burns does when he too gets caught on a barb just like an animal. The repetition of the b sound in Burns blinked, carries on the theme of the persistence of the rain. Throughout the whole of the third paragraph there is another repetition of the b sound, this time though it is used to bring out the sound of the thud and plodding of Burns in his mud encumbered boots. There is also a repetition of the s sound in words such as slipping and stumbling for exactly that, to create the sound of someone slipping in the wet mud. The writer also uses words such as cold, khaki and tight cloth to create a chilling stiff sound to make the reader feel the cold that Burns is experiencing. In the next two paragraphs, the author makes the wind and its severity, an impacting factor on Burns' progress toward the safety that he seeks. The wetness of the setting which surrounds Burns is also again a major influence in his quest. The tone of these two paragraphs is much more severe than the first three. The author says that the wind tries to scrape Burns off its side. suggesting that the situation has become more intense. That line is very effective literally because the word scrape is an onomatopoeic word and when joined together with side it creates an alliterating s sound. The fact that he has to keep his head bent and the Rain beat onto his head both confirm the increased severity of the weather. When the weather is so bad that the distance vanishes in a veil of rain, the alliterating v sound bringing out the hum of the constant rain, Burns' survival instinct kicks in and he decides to take shelter, running clumsily toward a clump of trees. But again he is slowed to a walk because of the dragging mud. The words mud dragged are effective here, for even to say them together takes effort and your reading is slowed by them, amplifying their effect. The sucking of your reading is again shown in the words mud-clogged boots, the d, g and b sounds all together make the reader have to pronounce each syllable in a drawn out way. Where the author talks about, the whine of shells he is referring to the sound that you hear when you put a shell to your ear and compares it to the noise of the wind through the trees. In paragraph five the author shows the exhausted Burns so tired he cannot even be bothered to wipe away the rain drenching his face. In the next three paragraphs, the tone of the extract becomes quieter; there is neither mention of the intense rain nor the sound of it. The tone of the setting becomes almost sinister amongst the trees. Burns now in what he thinks is the safety of the trees continues to stumble and the writer again uses the repeated b sounds in the words, began, stumbling, blindly and between to show us that Burns has still not quite got his bearings right yet. The author uses the repeated c sounds in the words catching, clumps and bracken to the same effect. Because he is stumbling blindly, something brushed Burns' cheek and when he tried to push it away, his hand touched what he first thought to be slime. On turning to see what it was, Burns discovered that there was a dead mole, suspended, apparently, in air. The use of commas in those few words are effective because they make the reader pause and thus put emphasis on a very important part of the extract, it begins the change in plot of the whole extract. Its small pink hands folded on its chest. suggests the authors feeling that the mole was innocent, but was still killed. The author provokingly compares the dead animals Burns sees to a fruit tree bearing, what the author makes you think are heavy fruit by using the word laden. Heavy fruit because they are generally more likely to smell of decay, which is what the dead animals are, decaying. The author quite interestingly uses animals from each part of the earth; the magpies from the sky; the fox from the ground and the moles from under the ground, this I see as a continuation of the regeneration theme carried on throughout the whole excerpt. I think that the fox scared Burns so much because it reminded of something that he saw in the war. Again in paragraph eight the trees are against Burns. The author uses the alliteration of the words twigs tore through the t sound to remind the reader of the snapping sound of twigs and the force that Burns was putting into getting away was enough to snap the twigs on his skin. It brings out how frightened he really was. The writers reference to dead leaves also fits in with the theme of Regeneration for dead leaves must dissolve into the earth to create nutrients for the trees from which they fell and thus continue the circle of life. In the short paragraph nine, the setting changes briefly once more because Burns goes out into the field once more. He splashes effectively through the alliterated flooded furrows, the f making the sound of the swishing water. Burns then hears a voice, probably the voice of a fellow soldier from the war. It is said to be the voice of a person named Rivers. I did find it quite ironic that the author of the book from which this excerpt is taken, would use the name Rivers for the voice which Burns hears because in Scotland a small river is called a burn. This brings out to me that the author is making the aspect of water very important to this particular scenario. I feel that the use of water here is important to the overall theme of regeneration because water is a key part in the cycle of life, it is the source of all life and so I think that this is why the author emphasises this point. The voice that Burns hears tells him that, If you run now, youll never stop. basically telling him to face his fear. This may be because perhaps Burns ran away from something before and did not face his fear. The last two paragraphs of the excerpt talk of Burns facing his fear, finding a peace amongst his dead companions and his finding a control which he did not have at the beginning of the excerpt. Burns turns back therefore facing his fears. The fact that the author talks about what the real Rivers might have said confirms that Rivers is a real person and he is probably still alive. When Burns lets down the dead animals he is allowing for the natural cycle of Regeneration to be complete. This seems to make him feel better for he sits down inside the circle of his companions who he no longer views as scary and is happy because, Now they could dissolve into the earth as they were meant to do. By facing his fear, Burns was regenerated in himself, this also made him content. The last line is the most important in the whole text; it sums up and puts into context the entire idea of Regeneration. In conclusion I would say that there is one main theme in this excerpt; it being the ongoing recurrence of the idea of Regeneration through the means of nature, water, the cycle of life and death and the facing of fear. It is also important to say that in order for regeneration to happen, something has to die.

Marketing strategies of Burberry

Marketing strategies of Burberry The marketing of the business will focus on providing value to the customers both through the products sold and information provided through online outlets (Schultz and Kitchen, 2000). The basic ploy for Burberry has always been to have a signature trend this is perhaps the most exciting and dynamic part of their management strategy, and they have managed to keep that aspect alive from conception to the modern day products as well (Clancy et al, 2000). One pattern that they have always fallen back on as a signature of their brand has been the distinguishable tartan pattern. This is a huge advantage for a retail marketing plan as having a signature like that can be used very effectively in the displays and designs used to further spread the image of the brand. Furthermore, another major advantage for designing the retail marketing plan for Burberry is that it has an iconic product like the trench coat which can also be used intelligently in retail marketing. The basic idea of the retail marketing plan for Burberry here is to design a marketing mix that will work best with the management techniques already being applied in the company (Day, 2004). The Burberry Group plc is a very popular and successful clothing and fashion line based out of London, UK (Day, 2004). The Burberry brand also incorporates a manufacturing industry for all its clothing as well as relevant fashion accessories for a specific group. Burberry has already made its name retailing their trademarks across branded outlets all over the world and in multi-outlet malls (Finch, 2005). Furthermore, it already has five established brands that are globally recognized, which are: Burberry London the core branding image Thomas Burberry Burberry Brit Burberry Sport Burberry Prorsum (Finch, 2005). SITUATION ANALYSIS The purpose of designing and implementing a retail marketing plan now is to make sure that the overall sales ratio of the Burberry brand increases on the international front. This of course cant without first conducting the SWOT and PEST analysis on the global scale as well. SWOT: The core strength is established brand recognition and established trademark style. Established media and distribution network also adds up to its potency. The major weakness arises as it is a premium product and hence can only aim for upper income families as opposed to the masses with its high price range. It has limited spread in the Asian market. Opportunity would be Chinas booming fashion industry as it could be a great venture. Threat is from newer and cheaper brands offering same product range globally. PEST: There is little pressure politically on the brand. In fact it has support as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince of Wales both have given Royal grants to the brand in the past. The European economic crisis is a great threat to the pricing of Burberry and hence calls for a repositioning of the price rationale. There are very few social limitations in developing countries. The social cultures are very different. The apparels consumed differ demographically and culturally. The technically developed countries are the major markets to enter. The online shopping strategies are easy to implement and expand the shopping platform. OBJECTIVES Business to Customer Objectives: The smart objectives chosen for the retail marketing plan for Burberry are: Creating awareness: The primary aim of retail marketing plan is to make sure that the chosen brand is represented visually to the target audience, hence investing in designing the store or creative magazines, giveaways, etc will be the focus of this marketing plan. Furthermore, the marketing will be far more focused with this approach (Philip and Kevin 2006) Another aim would be to make sure that the retailing allows the customers to discover the product as a must-have which will deflect their attention from the pricing criteria. This can be done through focusing primarily on the product and its quality making the customers believe that they are investing in a product that is worth the price tag (Philip, 2008) The final aim will be to improve the overall percentage of sales for the company both locally and internationally. This will be done through timely, intelligent and cost-aware allocation of resources with the use of innovative management theories that will increase overall profit ratios and sales ratios (Schultz and Kitchen, 2000). Burberrys expansion into Europe would be a smart move particularly fashion locale, Paris and Beijing. Increasing franchising in Japan will be another smart move. The sales percentage anticipated would be at 6% in these countries. Deeper penetration in China by opening 8 stores. More details of sales forecasts are given in the later sections. Management Objectives (B2B): Marketing management is really crucial in all retail marketing plans as its only through the marketing strategies that the retail image can be sold (Joshi, 2005), hence some of the really important marketing management goals must include the following aspects: Consistent analysis of the progress of retail strategies. Recording customers response to retail designs and mediums. Managing personable associations with all complementary partners to accelerate the retail visibility for Burberry as well as conduct word-of-mouth advertising. Engaging not just the customers but also the employees i.e. to keep the motivation levels high in order to guarantee that the quality or intensity of the marketing plan does not falter after the first wave of activities. Keeping the above points in mind retail management goals, locally and internationally, must incorporate the following in the long run: Retain as well as increase the percentage of customers investing in and purchasing the brand (Joshi, 2005) Increase in sales by 6 % in 1st year 10% in 2nd year and 12% in 3rd year Increase revenue by channels Retailing: Increase by 5% through opening of new stores in Beijing and Paris. Licensing: Increase by 7% Leveraging franchise in Japan. STRATEGY Segmentation: The market segmentation for Burberry is every straight forward and can be divided into the following characteristics and personality aspects (Zinderman, 2009): Primary age group: 18-30 years old. Secondary age group: 30-40 years old (Zinderman, 2009) Students and working youngsters Preferably those with a strong sense of style and creative instinct (Zinderman, 2009) Families in the a higher income group i.e. with earnings that allow discretionary expense (Zinderman, 2009) Individuals who are not afraid to stand out in a crowd and single-handedly try to bring about a positive change (Zinderman, 2009) Pricing strategy: Since Burberry is a premium brand with its target audience belonging to the upper middle class, the pricing will complement that stance. Giveaways or small gifts will be priced from 40 pounds and upwards depending upon the intricate design of the gift chosen. Majority of the clothes will be priced between 200 pounds to and upwards of 1000 pounds and more ranging from items like scarves, cap and other smaller items being priced in the low ranges and the trademarked trench coats being priced in the upper ranges. Hence, the tactic of pricing used here is differential. The prices will of course be aimed to be lower than previously recorded by the branded due to the global expansion into economies that are experiencing financial crisis as well. Positioning Burberry as a fashion brand has the following factors that design its positioning and make it stand out from the rest High dependency on the latest and trendiest fashions this is well represented through the use of multiple product brands and lines that are launched in the competitive market. Hence each product line specializes in a certain type of demand which does not impact the quality of the end product either (Ries and Trout, 2000) Investing in the premium luxury accessories and fashion items this is done through the use of old and new license projects conducted with all the relevant business partners (Ries and Trout, 2000) Gap Dashboard The gap dashboard for Burberry can be designed using the marketing metrics. These metrics will be collected after at least a week of the product being open in the POS structure. All the stats will be recorded and then the gap dashboard will be used to conduct monthly comparison and analysis to see how the projected results match the anticipated results and how the progress complements the initial goals of the retail plan. The Gap Dashboard will allow the marketing manager as well as the CEO to assess where the loopholes lie for the inefficient achievement of market goals. The table (Appendix 1.1) shows a hypothetical anticipated result scenario for Burberry under this particular retail marketing plan (Lenskold, 2003). IMPLEMENTATION To complement the above goals, the following tactical strategies must be employed: In Japan, China and Paris: Using the facilities of IT and internet to spread word online using the various social network websites and outlets. This will also present more visual options for the company that could not be employed in other tangible retail activities (Joshi, 2005) Globally: Using the facilities of newsletters (online and offline) along with magazines, booklets, etc to showcase Burberrys creative angles and its past success (Keller, 2002) In Japan, China and Paris: Use sponsorship techniques for arts colleges and universities to scope out the real target market (as explained in the segmentation above) (Keller, 2002) Globally: Similarly, offering internship programs for local art museums and outlets to increase brand awareness (Keller, 2002) Globally: Aim to calculate the levels of customer satisfaction and compare them to prior rates to understand where the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy lay (Keller, 2002) Pricing logic: The prices will not be lowered so much so that they harm the image of the brand but minimal lowering of the prices will be done. The mark-up over the suppliers price will also be lowered than engagements to stay competitive i.e. it will be at around 80%. The brand will not need a penetration price as it does not aim to divert from its designated customer base (i.e. upper income families) and move into the masses. Price slashing and penetration are necessary if and when a brand chooses to expand into the masses. Web Plan Adaption process Using a proper website will be the primary way to market the retail outlet. Social media and the internet will the primary tool of communication in this marketing plan. It is important to note here that two marketing mixes can be used in this retail marketing plan: 1) mass marketing and 2) niche marketing. The social media can be an open call to masses whereas the use of customer relations on the selected outlets and franchises in specific areas would be a result of the niche marketing mix strategy. The following aspects will be highlighted in all social media presentations: A slideshow of all brands and product lines for the customers convenience Updated contact and outlet-location information Membership/ sponsorship and internship details Testimonials from business partners Event details and listings Links to similar businesses (this will be a two-way road where the link to Burberry will be on the links that Burberry lists in its website as well) The Social Media Approach The Retail plan will also aim to use the following social media outlets with similar features as mentioned above: Facebook Twitter For all recent developments and relevant fashion articles related to Burberry or other business partners YouTube For launching short creative films or marketing campaigns to promote the brand Discussion forums open to all customers, employees and management. This will be great to engage customers, make the brand more personable and recording customer response. Store Design Burberry outlet designed from this particular retail marketing plan will aim to have the following personality traits: funky, modern, chic, trademarked (tartan and trench coat patterns). The overall ambience of the outlet will be friendly and courteous. The design will be very open with a lot of natural light. The customer will be given total transparency to the products and their original sources. The aim will be to make every visit be a learning experience for the customer so that the customer leaves being more informed about the brand and how Burberry can represent them in the sea of brands. The store design will be aimed to be proactive in design and construction so that the customers are drawn in and left with a very clear cut image of the brand in their minds when they leave. This will also help word-of-mouth retail branding of the store as well as Burberry (Lenskold, 2003). CONTROL AND MONITORING Sales Forecast There is an expectation of sales to dip during the winter and summer seasons when the weather is uncomplimentary to the product ranges made available by Burberry. The graphs below show anticipated sales (monthly followed by yearly) on four major product lines: handcrafted or hand-stitched apparel, gift items and womens and mens items. The graphs are followed by a table of overall anticipated sales forecasts. Others factors included in the market research included market trends, consumer behaviours and economic conditions. Customer Expectation and Retention Customer Retention and response are very important aspects to assess the success or failure of any or all marketing plans (Patterson, 2008). The customer response suggested in this marketing plan mainly revolves around building strong and personable relationships and sustaining them in the long term. The pyramid below shows exactly that in two circumstances: one when the customers are in a group i.e. on social media and two when the customers are dealt on an individual level i.e. in the outlet or through direct marketing (contingency plan). The former shows a different marketing mix i.e. marketing to the masses whereas the latter shows niche marketing as the chosen marketing mix. Spending on Channels Spending on Channels is expected to range in the following figures. The key channels would be radio and online advertising. They are cheaper are cost effective. All units are in USD. Marketing Expense Budget Channels Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Radio Advertising 35,000 38,000 44,000 NewspaperMagazine Advertising 45,000 48,500 55,000 Online Advertising 55,000 65,000 70,000 Arts College Sponsorships 25,500 25,500 30,000 Customer Membership Discounts 15,000 15,000 17,000 Internship Offers 20,000 25,500 30,000 Other 15,000 16,000 20,000 (Refer to Appendix 1.7 for approximate costs and selected channels) During the 3rd year the spending has to be increased as the products reach maturity level. It is very important to extensively promote the declining product range. This is also a part of contingency plan. Contingency Plan The contingency plan for Burberry under the current circumstances includes a fresh and approach to the marketing mix that currently exists. The contingency plan must be to revert back to the original marketing techniques. The one that could be most useful is direct marketing. Businesses in the past have made use of direct marketing as a model of complete business or as a complementary to a wider incorporated marketing combination. A number of advantages can be gained from direct marketing by not only sellers but buyers too. Thus, the concept of direct marketing is gaining popularity and recognition. One of the major advantages that I feel a direct marketing plan will achieve is to engage all the parties involved from the manufacturers to the promoters to the web planners to the recruiters to the sales and marketing department. The figure below shows the interconnection of all these departments under the direct marketing plan followed by a table (Appendix 1.3) showing the sales estima tes for this contingency plan. RECOMMENDATION If the constructed plan works efficiently and hit the targets set in next 3 years, then the next major step would be setting up a high-class fashion institute in Paris and Beijing. The name would be Burberry Institute of fashion. Target students will be celebrity children, child artists and employee trainees. Education is a huge business. And this institute will also assist Burberry to showcase its fashion events and creativity development. CONCLUSION The marketing plan is designed to increase the overall performance of Burberry by increasing sales, revenue, brand value and customer satisfaction. References Clancy, K. J. and Kriegafsd P. C. (2000). Counter intuitive Marketing. The Free Press. Day, J. (2004). Burberry doffs its cap to chavs. Guardian.[online] available from [ March 22, 2011] Finch, J. (2005). GUS shareholders to receive Burberry cheque. Guardian News and Media. [online] available from [ March 22, 2011] Joshi, R. M. (2005). International Marketing, Oxford University Press, New Delhi and New York. Keller, K. L. (2002). Strategic Brand Management, 2nd ed. Prentice Hall. Lenskold, J. D. (2003). The Path to Campaign, Customer, and Corporate Profitability. McGraw-Hill Professional. Patterson, L. (2008). Marketing Metrics in Action: Creating a Performance-Driven Marketing Organization. Racom Communications. Philip, H. M. (2008). Discovery-Based Retail. Bascom Hill Publishing Group. Philip, K. P. and Kevin L. K. (2006). Marketing Management, 12th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. Ries, A. and Trout, J. (2000). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind (20th anniversary ed.) McGraw-Hill. Schultz, D. E. and Kitchen, P. J. (2000). Communicating Globally. Palgrave Macmillan. Zinderman, C. (2009). A Grown-up Emma Watson Models for Burberry. International Business Times. [online] available from [March 22, 2011]