A Research Proposal on the International Branding

Elite branded products try to catch the attention of the public by attempting to sell a dream, which is done by attempting to discern the most common inner desires of the targeted consumer market; once this is done, the brand tries to enlist the services of a highly admired or a highly controversial individual to add effect to the aura or concept being portrayed by the brand.Hiring a celebrity is a venture that a known fashion brand has every capability of doing. Celebrity endorsement of luxury fashion is understood to be of great importance nowadays since when a celebrity is linked to a specific brand, the concept being created projects to have the approval of an icon, hence creating an image that it is classy; and any consumer who will buy that product will end up being closely similar to that particular icon or role model.The endorsement of luxury brands by icons is undoubtedly a trump card which could be used, if the said asset is efficiently utilized the resulting outcome almost always results to long term benefits like brand loyalty and brand equity. This phenomenon would in the long run produce a higher profitability and an increased brand value (Ukonkwo, 2007).However, it should be remembered that whoever the celebrity endorser the verdict of the consumer concerning their decision to buy or not to buy merchandise would all rest on the quality of the merchandise being sold.If the merchandise does not have anything that would sustain the initial impression created by the celebrity endorsement, like when the merchandise has poor quality or lacks the concept of genuineness then what would happen is that the clientele would no longer patronize the product. In order for a fashion brand to stay on top it has to be more than a symbol of greatness, it also has to be great if it is to withstand the stiff competition in the market.Statement of the ProblemFor the purpose of this research, the study aims to answer this question:What are the international branding st rategies of elite branded products in the United Kingdom?Definition of the Research QuestionElite designer brands are distinguished by their unique innovations which are almost always the first of its kind, their expertise, and their exclusive position in the market.   Elite fashion brands such as Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and the likes have a significant market share due to their clever marketing that allows them to present their merchandise in an attractive â€Å"must have† commodity.To maintain the continuity of   their   operations, famous clothing brands tend to attend to the concept of â€Å"customer focus† instead of concentrating on the idea of a timeless, spaceless and emotionally-charged ideas that fix meanings to intangible personal attributes like freedom, love, or family although these ideas have in their own right a universal functionality; known Fashion brands have the capability to somehow ensure the stability of current fashion trends by exerting co ntrol over consumer valuations.Research ObjectivesFor the purpose of this study, the research aims to:To provide a theoretical foundation of international branding. To provide a theoretical foundation of international branding strategies of elite branded products. To identify the international branding strategies of Giorgio Armani and Gucci. To provide recommendations in order to improve the international branding strategies of Giorgio Armani and Gucci. A Research Proposal on the International Branding Elite branded products try to catch the attention of the public by attempting to sell a dream, which is done by attempting to discern the most common inner desires of the targeted consumer market; once this is done, the brand tries to enlist the services of a highly admired or a highly controversial individual to add effect to the aura or concept being portrayed by the brand.Hiring a celebrity is a venture that a known fashion brand has every capability of doing. Celebrity endorsement of luxury fashion is understood to be of great importance nowadays since when a celebrity is linked to a specific brand, the concept being created projects to have the approval of an icon, hence creating an image that it is classy; and any consumer who will buy that product will end up being closely similar to that particular icon or role model.The endorsement of luxury brands by icons is undoubtedly a trump card which could be used, if the said asset is efficiently utilized the resulting outcome almost always results to long term benefits like brand loyalty and brand equity. This phenomenon would in the long run produce a higher profitability and an increased brand value (Ukonkwo, 2007).However, it should be remembered that whoever the celebrity endorser the verdict of the consumer concerning their decision to buy or not to buy merchandise would all rest on the quality of the merchandise being sold.If the merchandise does not have anything that would sustain the initial impression created by the celebrity endorsement, like when the merchandise has poor quality or lacks the concept of genuineness then what would happen is that the clientele would no longer patronize the product.In order for a fashion brand to stay on top it has to be more than a symbol of greatness, it also has to be great if it is to withstand the stiff competition in the market.Statement of the ProblemFor the purpose of this research, the study aims to answer this question:What are the international branding str ategies of elite branded products in the United Kingdom?Definition of the Research QuestionElite designer brands are distinguished by their unique innovations which are almost always the first of its kind, their expertise, and their exclusive position in the market.   Elite fashion brands such as Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and the likes have a significant market share due to their clever marketing that allows them to present their merchandise in an attractive â€Å"must have† commodity.To maintain the continuity of   their   operations, famous clothing brands tend to attend to the concept of â€Å"customer focus† instead of concentrating on the idea of a timeless, spaceless and emotionally-charged ideas that fix meanings to intangible personal attributes like freedom, love, or family although these ideas have in their own right a universal functionality; known Fashion brands have the capability to somehow ensure the stability of current fashion trends by exerting con trol over consumer valuations.

Important Choice in of Mice and Men

Choices are made by everyone at some point in life. Choices can be complicated or as simple as yes or no. Decisions can be difficult or easy to make. Some choices are impulsive while some require a lot of premeditation to make. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, written by George Steinbeck, George chose to kill his best friend Lennie. Lennie and George were friends for a long time. They both worked at a farm together. Lennie was retarded and George took care of him and watched over him. Throughout the book Lennie displays blind loyalty to George and their hope of a better life.George is a very dynamic character through the book while Lennie is constant displaying incredible amounts of physical strength and being dim witted. Killing Lennie was no easy task for George. This important choice was a choice that affected others, affected George, and had to be motivated to be made. George was motivated to kill his friend, Lennie. Lennie had always loved to pet soft things. He would often kill mice just by petting them. Lennie had also killed a puppy on accident. These incidents occurred out of his innocence.He was unaware of his own strength and killed animals because of it. Lennie killed Curley’s wife in an effort to simply pet her soft hair. A mob of people from the farm chased Lennie and George from the farm in an effort to kill Lennie. Curley said he wanted to kill Lennie in the most painful way possible. George and Lennie effectively escaped their pursuit for a brief minute. In this moment George tried to calm Lennie down by reminding him of their shared dream of a better life. This involved them owning their own farm and tending rabbits for Lennie to pet.This undoubtedly brought Lennie to a calm place. In that moment when people began to close in, George killed Lennie by shooting him in the back of the head. This act was influenced by the impending doom Lennie had coming. The other men from the farm that had chased Lennie would have killed him much less pea cefully. If George did not do it, Curley would have done it much less humanely. While this reason for killing Lennie may seem to be merciful, what if George had killed him for selfish gain? George was held back by Lennie as long as he had been accompanying him.This was not the first time they had gotten in trouble with the law. Lennie also kept George from getting any type of romantic relationship or even a stable job. Is it possible George was motivated by his own selfish inclinations? Several factors influenced George to kill Lennie. George’s choice to kill Lennie was motivated by others but also affected him. It is reasonable to believe that George looked out for both Lennie and his own interest in deciding what how he must confront the situation mentioned earlier. Killing Lennie affected George’s life in depth.In the entire book George and Lennie are depicted as being together. George would have to adjust to being slightly more lonesome for the time being. Lennie w as a companion to George but he was also a hindrance. George had said how Lennie keeps him from doing many things. George was upset at this and said â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cathouse all night.I could eat any place I want, hotel or any place, and order any damn thing I could think of. An’ I could do all that every damn month. Get a gallon of whisky, or set in a pool room and play cards or shoot pool. † Lennie knelt and looked over the fire at the angry George. And Lennie’s face was drawn in with terror. â€Å"An’ whatta I got,† George went on furiously. â€Å"I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shovin’ all over the country all the time. † Here George act s as if he doesn’t want Lennie so it would be natural to assume that with Lennie dead George would be happy.On the contrary George is disappointed at the loss of his friend as he does not want to live an isolationist life like the other members of the ranch. The choice George made affected him negatively from his own viewpoint but also allowed him to live a less tethered lifestyle. The adverse effects of this choice affected George the most. In addition to having affected George, this choice also affected others in the ranch. Lennie was the one most affected. Obviously Lennie died because of George's decision to kill him. What could have happened had an alternate ending taken place?Instead of killing Lennie, George could have escaped and found other work. This scenario was spelled out in the beginning of the book when it says how the duo had left a ranch in Weed for undisclosed reasons. There is no reason why Lennie could have been spared in this fashion. Perhaps George reali zed the cycle that could have proceeded where they escape to another ranch only to find Lennie falls into the same pattern where they end up repeating the same steps over and over. In that case George's decision was still the right one. Lennie did not understand what death was in its full sense.When he killed animals he did not care they were dead but wanted them for comfort. In the same way George killed Lennie while he was in a comforted state. Lennie most likely wanted it that way. When Lennie was killed, their dream of the ranch was also killed. This deeply hurt those like Candy and Crooks who emotionally invested in this dream that had become theirs as well. Candy insisted that George goes ahead and buys a farm anyway. The represented freedom and lack of prejudice for Candy and Crooks. When the idea was gone, they were very upset as their dreams of a better life did the same.George's decision to kill Lennie affected others as well as him. The important choice to kill Lennie was a choice that was motivated by others, affected George and affected others. The decision was motivated by Curley’s desire for revenge. George will be forced to live an isolationist life just like the other members of the ranch in the Great Depression. Crooks and Candy’s dream of an improved life was crushed with George’s choice. Everyone has to make important choices in their life and they will usually be for the better and the worse.

Purinex, Inc Warren Buffett Essay

1. What is the possible meaning of the changes in stock price for Berkshire Hathaway and Scottish Power plc on the day of the acquisition announcement? Specifically, what does the $2.55 billion gain in Berkshire’s market value of equity imply about the intrinsic value of PacifiCorp? Answer1: The increase in the stock price of Scottish Power plc and Berkshire Hathaway indicate a market approval for the acquisition and created value for both buyers and sellers. Answer2: a. the possible meaning of the changes in stock price is due to the fact that the deal created value for both buyers and sellers; Berkshire was more diversified after the acquisition. b. The $2.55 billion gain in Berkshire’s market value of equity implied that the intrinsic value of PacifiCorp was good because it fell within the range of competitors based on the following calculations: $2.55 billion / 312/18 million = $8.17 – Berkshire is willing to pay this premium for each share of PacifiCorp 5.1 billion / 312.18 million = $16.30 per share of PacifiCorp $8.17 + 16.30 = $24.47 (see Exhibit 9) Answer3: The possible explanations in the change in stock price for Berkshire would be for a couple of reasons. One of them is that investors invest based on the behavioral finance theory which implies that their investments are driven by psychological factors. These factors would be that believing that Mr. Buffet is the guru of investment, therefore he is right and it must be a very good investment. Moreover looking at the financial statements of march 2005 we see that the book value of PacifiCorp = 3377.1 Billions/312.12 million shares =$10.82 per share. However, the increase of 2.17 billion dollars at the day of the announcements of Berkshire implies that that true value of PacifiCorp should be higher if we divide the 2.17 billions /312.12 million shares we have that the PacifiCorp share should have a $ 6.95 dollar value higher. 2. Based on the multiples for comparable regulated utilities, what is the range of possible values for PacifiCorp? What questions might you have about this range? Answer1: a. we find the range of possible values for PacifiCorp in Exhibit 10. i. Revenue median of $6.252 Billion, mean of $6.584 Billion. ii. EBIT median of $8.775 Billion, mean of $9.289 Billion. iii. EBITDA median of $9.023 Billion, mean of $9.076 Billion. iv. Net Income median of $7.596 Billion, mean of $7.553 Billion. v. EPS median of $4.277 Billion, and a mean of $4.308 Billion. vi. Book value median of $5.904 Billion, mean of $5.678 Billion. b. Question about revenue; the implied value of PacifiCorp is giving impractical results for range of revenue as compared to EBIT, EBITDA, & Net income (Expected: Revenue > EBITDA > EBIT > NI). Answer2: Alliant E. Corp Low price P/E =23.50/1.42=16.55 High price P/E =28.80/1.42=20.28 Cinergy Corp Low price P/E =34.90/1.42 =16.23 High price P/E =42.60/2.15=19.81 NSTAR Low price P/E =22.70/1,79=12.75 High price P/E =27.20/1.78 =15.28 SCANA Corp Low price P/E =32.80/2.34=14.02 High price P/E =39.70/2.34 =16.93 WEC Low price P/E =29.50/2.62=11.26 High price P/E =34.60/2.62 =13.21 Industry average low price P/E=14.20 Industry average high price P/E =17.11 PacifiCorp EPS =0.81 Stock price of PacifiCorp= EPS x (P/E industry) Range of PacifiCorp possible values Low price >0.81Ãâ€"14.20= $11.50 High price >0.81Ãâ€"17.11=$13.86 Possible value for PacifiCorp using EBITDA Total value Company =market value + net debt Market multiple =total value company /EBITDA EBITDA Alliant E. Corp= 7.45x NSTAR 7.53x SCANA Corp 9.25x WEC 8.47x Average =8.18x Total value of company = Market multiple X EBITDA PacifiCorp’s EBITDA=1093.30 Market multiple =8.1 Value of PacifiCorp = 8.18Ãâ€"1093.30 =8,943.19 million dollars 3. Assess the bid for PacifiCorp. How does it compare with the firm’s intrinsic value? As an alternative, the instructor could suggest that students perform a simple discounted cash-flow (DCF) analysis. Answer1: If you use CAPM for the simple DCF analysis: K=rf+B(rm-rt) rf =5.762K=5.762+.75(10.5-5.762) B=.75=9.32%=Discount rate rm=10.5 $5.1/(1+.0932)=$4.76 => it is in range of the rest of the comparable firms. Answer2: 4. How well has Berkshire Hathaway performed? How well has it performed in the aggregate? What about its investment in MidAmerican Energy Holdings? Answer1: Overall, Berkshire Hathaway has performed brilliantly in the last 40 years. Berkshire’s class A shares have been among the highest-priced shares on the New York Stock Exchange, in part because they have never had a stock split and never paid a dividend, retaining corporate earnings on its balance sheet in a manner that is impermissible for private investors and mutual funds. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 40 years. Answer2: It has performed very well. Berkshire Hathaway has consistently outperformed the market since its inception in 1965. In 1977, the firm’s year end closing share price was $107; on May 24, 2005 the closing price on its Class A shares reached $85,500. Berkshire has had an annual increase of wealth of 24% since 1965, which is more than double the 10.5% of the average increase for other large stocks. It started out with a decline due to inflation, technological change, and intensifying competition from foreign competitors, but has recuperated well after closing the textile side of their business. Berkshire Hathaway had recently been performing below S&P 500 Index according to Exhibit 1, from April 2005 to May 2005. Scottish Power had consistently outperformed the S&P 500 Index from March to May 2005. This probably was one aspect that attracted Berkshire to purchase PacifiCorp. We believe that it was a good investment. In 2002 they owned 9.9% of the voting interest and 83.7% of the economic interest in the equity of MidAmerican. This allows them to have a major stake in the company without violating utility laws, which has proven to be successful for them. According to Exhibit 6, MidAmerican Holdings had a net earnings of 170 million in 2004, but compared to 2003 net earnings of 416 million, MidAmerican had a net loss from 2003-2004. Acquiring PacifiCorp would supply much needed new, more profitable investments to raise their net income in 2005. Answer3: Performance of Berkshire since 1977 to 2005 PV=102 FV=85500 N=28 I=34% ` S & P performance since 1977 to 2005 PV =96 FV=1192 N=28 I=9.42 Berkshire has outperformed S & P by 24.58% 5. What is your assessment of Berkshire’s investments in Buffett’s Big Four: American Express, Coca-Cola, Gillette, and Wells Fargo? Answer1: They invested in well established and successful firms. They put a lot of money up front for these investments, but since have made substantial gains for their investment. The total cost to Berkshires investment in the Big 4 was $3.832 Billion, but the market value of their investment was $24.681 Billion. This means that Berkshire’s current gain on their investment in the big 4 is $20.849 Billion. Their gain is 5.44 times their investment I would have to say that these were very well thought out and successful investments. Answer2: Buffet’s approach of investments is based on the fundamental analysis of the company itself. It is based on simplicity and consistency of its operation history, attractiveness of long term prospects, quality of management and firm’s capacity to create value. The big four, Coca-Cola, American Express, Gillette and Wells Fargo have all these characteristics. For instance Coca- Cola has been in business since 1919(Reuters). It is a multinational with the biggest market share worldwide. Coca-Cola’s finished beverage products bearing its trademarks are sold in more than 200 countries (reuters.com). Buffet looks at what the consumers are looking for and what the general economic trend is at that time and what it will be over time. He researches a company as a whole and looks at what people want and what people are transitioning into in the future. For instance most of his investments in the big four were done in 1992. During these 13 years we can see how well the big four have performed compare with the S& P 500 S & P 500 At January 1992 adjusted to dividends and splits =408.78 At December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits =1248.29 n=13 Return =8.96% American Express. Price at January 1992 adjusted to dividends and splits =4.02 Price at December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits =49.68 N= 13 Return =21.34% Wells Fargo Price at January 1992 adjusted to dividends and splits =2.69 Price at December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits =28.25 N=13 Return =19.82% Coca-Cola Price at January 1992 adjusted to dividends and split =14.5 Price at December 2005 adjusted to dividends and splits 37.50 N=13 Return =7.50% 6. From Warren Buffett’s perspective, what is the intrinsic value? Why is it accorded such importance? How is it estimated? What are the alternatives to intrinsic value? Why does Buffett reject them? Answer1: a. the discounted value of the cash that can be taken out of a business during its remaining life. Intrinsic value is per-share progress. Buffett assessed intrinsic value as the present value of future expected performance. b. Because if focuses on ability to earn returns in excess of the cost of capital, not accounting profit. Only logical way is to evaluate the relative attractiveness. c. The gain in intrinsic value could be modeled as the value added by a business above and beyond the charge for the use of capital in that business. d. Accounting profit, performance of Berkshire by its size, consolidated reported earnings e. Accounting reality was conservative, backward looking, and governed by GAAP (measures in terms of net profit). Investment decisions should be based on economic reality. This includes intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, special managerial expertise, reputation, etc. Answer2: The definition of intrinsic value according to Mr. Buffet is the present value of all future expected cash flows or performance. The measurements of intrinsic value are focused on the ability of the company to earn a return in excess of the cost of capital including the opportunity cost. Intrinsic value is not based only on the net profit. Alternatives to intrinsic value: 1) Accounting profit. Mr. Buffet believes that the true value of a company is based on its intrinsic value not on its accounting profit. Financial statements prepared by accountants are conformed around rules that do not adequately represent the economic reality of business. 2) Technical analysis. Mr. Buffet rejects the technical analysis that attempts to predict the stock prices based on momentum of trends. He believes in long term investment. 3) Efficient market hypothesis. Mr. Buffet rejects the efficient market hypothesis theory (EHM). He believes that there are opportunities out there. Investing should be based on information analysis of the company. 7. Critically assess Buffett’s investment philosophy. Be prepared to identify points where you agree and disagree with him. Answer1: Warren Buffett has a very simple method of investment strategy compared to other investors. Buffett’s philosophy is defined in 8 elements. We will discuss whether we agree or disagree with each one individually. We agree with Buffett’s first element of analyzing economic reality of investments. Most investors focus on financial statements and net profit, but don’t take into consideration intangible assets such as management experience and patents. We also agree with Buffett’s second element of lost opportunity cost comparison. By analyzing expected returns of an investment compared to the rate of return of using that same investment money in another investment, Buffett takes a simple idea that everyone uses in almost every decision, and applies it to a much more complex investment strategy. Everyone weigh’s the alternative when making a decision, whether that decision is a choice of a coffee or a coke or something more complex like a college education versus not getting an education. Buffett uses the third element of intrinsic value instead of book value or historical data to determine his investment choices. We agree with this element, but do believe a combination of the two methods would work better to show historically how the company has performed, and how much that company will be worth in the future. The rate of return reflects more of the economic value of an investment. In the fourth element, Buffett measures performance by per share basis. We do agree with his reasoning for using this method, but we think overall performance should be measured as well to show a better figure of what the whole is worth compared to the parts. The fifth element is one that we don’t agree with. Buffett uses a 30 year U.S. Treasury Bond Rate of Return instead of the traditional CAPM rate, because he believes that his investments are so solid, they don’t need risk factored in. We disagree with his choice for rate of return because all investments have a degree of risk, and return should be factored according to that level of risk. Buffett not believing in risk is like someone not believing we breathe air. Even though we can’t see it, it is still there. The sixth element is also a point of disagreement for me. Buffett says he doesn’t believe in diversification of investments, even stating that diversification is considered protection against ignorance. What Buffett does not realize is that by saying he does not believe in diversification, he is being a hypocrite. Berkshire Hathaway itself is a massively diverse company with several subsidiaries and holdings in many different industries from apparel to energy. Buffett may own most of his stock in his own company, but he knows by diversifying Berkshire, he will avoid adding more risk, which is exactly the strategy that is used by other investors when diversifying their stocks. We agree with the seventh element that investment decisions should be made by doing proper research on information about the company, and not by following an anonymous tip or a gut feeling. Finally, we agree with the eighth element that a firm’s management and shareholders should have the same goals for the firm. Management should have most of their wealth in company stock so as to serve the shareholders better in day-to-day decision making that affects the value of their investments. Answer2: Mr. Buffet does not believe in diversification. We believe that diversification helps in times like the one that the market is having right know. For instance stock value of American Express in the last year has ranged from $53 a year ago to $15 dollars this week resulting in a loss of 70 % and also the market value of Wells Fargo is down by 65% (yahoo finance). If you compare those two companies with the S & P during the last year it is only down by 40%. This also means that market risk is still there. We believe that Mr. Buffet has not had a situation in the economy such as the one that the country is having now. Even he, the guru of investments is losing money, so we know that the risk is there. We agree on his philosophy on investing behavior. It should not be driven by emotion or hunch but should be a well thought out plan that came about by information, analysis and self-discipline. If you go by hunch or emotion then anyone can work you up and sell you the worst deal of your life, but make you think it is the best one you will ever get. We agree with his belief on the alignment of owners and investors. It is always a good thing when the owner has more than 50% of his net worth invested in the company because the goal would definitely be increasing shareholder wealth. 8. Should Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholders endorse the acquisition of PacifiCorp? Answer1: Yes, PacifiCorp will add around $250 million in net income for MidAmerican Holdings if PacifiCorp keeps at its same net income pattern of the last two years. This added net income will increase shareholder wealth in Berkshire Hathaway and provide a stable long term investment for the future. Also, since PacifiCorp’s intrinsic value is comparable to the industry, Berkshire is not adding much more risk to their portfolio. Berkshire should look at adding more of these type safer investments to their portfolio. Answer2: The Berkshire Hathaway shareholders should endorse the acquisition of PacifiCorp. It took a while for Mr. Buffet to finally invest their cash equivalents because he was looking for an â€Å"elephant† which is a company that makes significant gains. Factors that make it a good acquisition include the fact that PacifiCorp is a low-cost energy producer but has the biggest market share among the energy companies which is 1.6 million customers divided among 6 states plus the intrinsic value of the company is much higher than the market value of PacifiCorp.

American History and The Seperation of Church and State Essay

American History and The Seperation of Church and State - Essay Example The separation of church and state is an issue that should not continue to be debated as this matter was settled nearly 300 years ago in this country and culture. However, subjects such as whether evolution should be taught in school continue to plague the American dialogue and, opposed to the intentions of the Founders, the political arena as well. In founding the new nation, Thomas Jefferson, working on a bill for his own home state of Virginia, drafted the first document to expressly address the connection between church and state based on the ideas of Locke. â€Å"Taking this idea from Locke, Jefferson proposed that Virginia end all tax support of religion and recognize the natural right of all persons to believe as they wish.† (â€Å"Separating Church and State† 1997) The bill didn’t pass right away, but a reintroduction of it by James Madison while Jefferson was serving as ambassador to France saw acceptance and the first time in history that a government had acted to legally separate church and state. It was three years later, in 1789, when Madison proposed several amendments to the new Constitution that would further define the federal government’s restrictions as far as it pertained to religious beliefs. The very first of these amendments begins with â€Å"Congress shall make no law respect ing an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"The Constitution†) Despite this, by the time Jefferson himself became president in 1801, the separation of church and state remained an issue of paperwork in many of the states, where laws regarding who could vote (only Christians in good standing), establishing religious holidays and holy days and enforcing taxes to support the Christian church were still enforced. When Jefferson was criticized for refusing to proclaim a national day of prayer, he responded

Case Study on ToyEdu. Creating Business Opportunity Essay

Case Study on ToyEdu. Creating Business Opportunity - Essay Example The company believes that their newly launched product will be a trend-setter in the toy industry. Its unique features will create attraction among the children in the initial stages. ToyEdu feels that the more the children can learn the basic educational tips, the more successful the company can be. ToyEdu’s objectives are very clear. It believes that the creative line of products waiting to be launched in the market of the United Kingdom will be the key to success. They wish to adopt strict financial controls that will reduce their operational cost, thus, enhancing their marginal cost. Furthermore, the company wishes to have a unique team of research and development, which will enable them to respond to the customer’s feedback and develop their products accordingly. The business plan that has been outlined in the proposal consists of the marketing and promotional strategy of the company to inform potential clients about the product. It includes few opportunities for t he business clients in toy industry who may be interested to buy the patent right of the product. The operational plan has been designed in such a way that will be suitable to meet the demand of both the segments, namely the individual consumers and the business clients. ... Traditionally, toys were considered as an equipment of amusement for the children. However, in the recent times, toys have been linked with education for creating the view that learning is fun. Thus, ToyEdu is initially targeting the UK markets, before spreading their businesses globally. Consisting of a handful of employees mostly in the manufacturing department, ToyEdu is looking forward to increase its client base all over the United Kingdom. The company claims to have a unique line of products which will be able to attract customers from different age groups. The financial strength of the company is not that strong compared to the competitors. Therefore, ToyEdu wants to see their company on the stock markets of the UK and establish its image as a renowned manufacturer of educational toys in the global markets. Market Requirement Analysis United Kingdom’s market for toys has been growing gradually. Lots of toys are being imported from the Asian countries especially from mai nland China as well as Hong Kong (Alibaba.com, 2012). Thus, the potential growth of a company producing toys in and around the UK is assumed to have an impact in the markets comprising of individual consumers and wholesalers. Therefore, a launch of products is intended to be made concerning both the segments. The company believes that their products will be able to attract the individual consumers who are the parents, grand parents and other near ones of a particular child. Additional to the individual consumers, the company also wants to target their products to the wholesalers such as schools, day-care centres and companies who are in the toy industry. It has been decided that traditional approach of

Policing and Penal Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Policing and Penal Services - Essay Example Although this may sound an ideal way to deal with criminals, the ground realities are quite different from the expected results. As no solution is perfect and without flaws, the same goes with this problem of handling criminal behaviour and controlling uncivil citizens, thus increasing problems inside the prisons and penitentiaries. Imprisonment and jailing has been an effective way to protect the society from corrupt people and individuals with criminal tendencies (Baker, 2002). Prisons hold a complete new world inside them as the most dangerous people from all over the country or province/state are collected in a single space, the chances of different mishaps and unwanted happenings are increased a hundred fold (Baker, 2002). Therefore, the prison service or probation service should be capable of handling such situations. Furthermore, the prison service should competent enough to prevent any incidents from happening at all. Containing any undesirable situations, preventing jailbrea ks, controlling prisoner riots, thwarting murder attempts and violent attacks, halting drug trafficking, preventing any sexual harassment or assaults and frustrating any prison gangs from causing any harms are the primary tasks of a prison service. Further duties include the training of convicts to become a better citizen of society, provide them with adult education (if required), providing proper healthcare without any discrimination of race, class, colour, religion or creed and building the capacity of inmates to integrate with the society after they have completed their sentence (Great Britain Home Office, 1979). Education can be used for rehabilitation of prisoners. It is important to make them stand back on their feet and help them become a productive member of the society. Prisons serve this essential function in the society as well. This essay will attempt to shed a light on the present prison services, their current state, the methodologies which are used, and their compete ncy and provide further alternatives and recommendations to increase their performance and capabilities. It will also comment on education and how it can play a role in rehabilitation of prisoners. Theory behind Imprisonment: Bjerregaard and Lizotte (1995) concluded that there are actually four theories that formed the idea of incarcerating certain citizens. These can be listed as under: Punishment Deter Specifically Deter Generally Rehabilitation. Punishment: This is a very basic idea which follows the concept of punishing an individual for his/her wrong doing and preventing him/her from repeating the crime. Deter Specifically: Also known as incapacitation, the idea behind specific deterrence is to remove the criminal individual from the society, relying simply on the idea that if such a person would not be a part of the society, his/her criminal actions would not affect the society in any way whatsoever and population in general will stay safe (Cao, Zhao, & Van Dine, 1997). Deter Generally: This involves making someone an example for a serious crimes (Carlson, 2001). For instance, if there is death penalty for intentional homicide, then lesser people will do any such act. This idea has given way to many harsh punishments such as life imprisonments and capital punishments. Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation involves guiding the offenders and making them better citizens of the society (Jiang & Fisher-Giorlando, 2002). They are given education and awareness about being a productive member of the community and participating in building the society instead of tearing it down. Although this is the most productive

Jimmy Cliff Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jimmy Cliff - Research Paper Example â€Å"Reggae changed the traditional rock patterns by allowing guitar to play the off-beat chords, while the bass guitar played melodic patterns† (Reggae par.1). Jimmy Cliff was born on April 1948 in Somerton District of Jamaica; he was the second youngest among 9 of his brothers and sisters. His parents parted away when he was very young, so Cliff was brought up by his grandmother and father. His Grandmother played an important role in his career as she always encouraged him to sing and appreciated whatever he sang. She made him confident about his ability of doing something great one day. Family too played a very major role in Cliff’s life. Jimmy Cliff apart from being a well known singer is also known as an internationally famous musician and actor. With his 50 years of valuable contribution in the entertainment industry Cliff has two Grammy Awards to his credit and also the distinction of being one of the only two reggae artists inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the highest honour given by Jamaican government in the field of arts and sciences making him an international icon. With over 20 albums till date, Jimmy â€Å"Cliff has been one of the brightest stars of Jamaica’s thriving musical culture and was among the first to bring reggae to the worldwide audience† (Jimmy Cliff Biography par.1). ... Cliff’s later hit singles included King of Kings, Dearest Beverly, Miss Jamaica, Pride and Passion. â€Å"The harder they come† in 1972 gave him an opportunity to showcase his acting talent where he played the role of a boy who wanted to enter into the world of music but could not succeed and with time he gets involved in illegal activities and crime, his role was appreciated by all, the movie was a big hit and brought Jimmy and Reggae in international spotlight. His songs â€Å"Many Rivers to Cross† and â€Å"The Harder they come† were a massive hit. Jimmy always wanted to become an actor and in his school days he was appreciated for his acting skills and his prime will was to become an iconic actor and singing just happened by accident. Music and Acting has played a very important role in his life and these are the two things which gave him the recognition worldwide. His achievements in his career make him unique and he is unstoppable even at the age of 65. Jimmy Cliff is ready to play a new innings in his career with the sequel of his famous movie â€Å" The Harder they come† through which he dreamed to win his dream : The Oscar and is also working on his Grammy Fame Album Rebirth’s next part where he wants to experiment with something new apart from reggae. Jimmy also contributed a lot towards the society by raising his voice for the poor and deprived, he was very disturbed to see the plight of people in Africa and their discrimination on the basis of colour, through his songs like the opener, world upside down whose lyrics were updated by Cliff. His socially conscious songs on Rebirth included â€Å"Children’s Bread, with his harsh refrain, â€Å"They took the children’s bread and give it to the dogs...The time has come for us to right the wrongs.†

Rewrite my project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rewrite my project - Essay Example Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of these diseases is important for the administration of correct and effective treatment. Diagnosis is normally two-step: the first step is to provide a clinical diagnosis based on symptoms, patient history, and his environment. Symptoms of campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, and shigellosis are similar: bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, nausea, gastroenteritis which could lead to septicemia in some cases and death, in other cases (Papadakis, McPhee and Zeiger). There are also patients that do not show any disease symptoms for prolonged periods; they are carriers of the bacteria which can also be passed on through fecal-oral contact. Shigellosis results in watery diarrhea (or dysentery) with blood or mucus in the feces, which could be the only clinical manifestation, but this does not differ from most other enteric diseases. Mostly affecting children, possible complications could be arthritis, bacteremia and neurological disorders (Baron). On the other hand, campylobacteriosis could lead to many other diseases: reactive arthritis, endocarditis, meningitis, and Guillain-Barre Syndrome (New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services). Salmonellosis has three clinical forms: enteric fever, septicemia, and gastroenteritis. In addition to the other symptoms, patients with salmonella infection experience fever and chills. Typhoid fever is also another form of salmonellosis that can be fatal if left untreated (Baron). Knowing the history of the patients is important in the diagnosis especially if he has travelled in the past few days because the travel dates will indicate when the bacteria were ingested. Diet history is also a major part in the diagnosis because the bacteria can be present in uncooked or half-raw meats. Aside from this, patient history will also give clues as to whether the patient is a carrier of the disease or whether he was contaminated with the bacteria from animals (even pets)

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example According to Salvati (1999, p6), till a customer remains satisfied with the service, there are no major chances that he/she may drop or switch to another service provider. It is a fact that in a highly competitive atmosphere just as in the profit making sectors, customer loyalty is to be given a deep thought. Moreover, actions are to be taken to have a continuous improvement in the level of customer loyalty (Hsieh, 2002). This paper will deal with an important concept of brands and the Australian charities. The paper will be divided into two main parts; namely, Part A and Part B. Part A will deal with the simple literature of branding and a brand personality. The section will also deal with an overview of the Australian Charity. The overview of the Australian Charity Industry will allow a better understanding of the various players in the markets and the non – profit making sector as a whole. Part B of the assignment will deal with three advertisements/ marketing techniques that have been used by the Australian Charities to help build and develop a strong brand image and brand identity (Jobber, 2004). Each of the three examples that have been taken for this study will be studied on three main basis, a) the personality of each brand and what the brands can be characterized into, b) reasons why brands use a certain characteristic and who they aim as their target markets, and c) the possible chan ges and recommendations for change for the brands and their personality (Franzen & Bouwman, 2001). The Australian charity industry is a wide spread market with over almost 700,000 organisations with a wide range of activities that they deal with. These organisations range from different activities like environment conservation, youth assistance, help for the blind, or disabled, and several other activities. Most of the organisations that have been recognised by the government and the only ones that are

Comparative Research on Cross-Cultural Families Essay Example for Free

Comparative Research on Cross-Cultural Families Essay 1. Reference or bibliographic entry of your selected article in APA style (see example in the first assignment guidelines): Toro-Morn, M., Sprecher, S. (2003). A cross-cultural comparison of mate preferences among university students; the united states vs. the peoples republic of china (PRC). Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 34(2), 151-170. 2. What are the aims and/or research questions of the study? The research of the cross-cultural study aims their question at comparing mate preferences of young adults in the People’s Republic of China and those young adults of the United States. This study correlates to the research done in 1998 by Goodwin, which examine the political and economic structure in a particular culture and the effect it had on relationships, in particular mate preferences. 3. What concepts or ideas did the authors want to study? How were they defined in the study? Read through the literature background or the introduction part. The article states the researchers have three concepts they wish to obtain from the study. One, within each culture analyzes gender variation in mate preferences. Second, differentiate the two cultures in which they are satisfied with gender differences in mate preferences. Third, differentiate the two cultures of the significance of diverse partner characteristics. The concepts were outlined and explain through a questionnaire to 648 university students in the United States and 735 university students in the People’s Republic of China. The United States questionnaire contained 422 females, 219 males, and 7 did not specify their gender. The People’s Republic of China questionnaire contained 343 females, 352 males, and 40 did not specify their gender. The questionnaire contained a section called â€Å"Traits Desired in a Mate.† Through the results, researchers could determine which traits were least and most important. Also the differences and similarities within each culture, including the mate preferences of women versus males within each culture. 4. Describe the participants of the study. Since you are supposed to choose an article of a cross-cultural study on families, the participants for this study should have different cultural backgrounds. What are these cultural backgrounds? What are the demographics of the participants? This study contained two different participants, our very own young adults from the United States and young adults from the People’s Republic of China. In the late 1970s, The People’s Republic of China began having social and economic reforms. Not only did they began having reforms, but these reforms stimulated the growth of social science research. Which as a result, allowed researchers to research the mate preferences of young adults in the People’s Republic of China. The People’s Republic of China is recognize as the largest country in the world. Thus, having an immense population. These people live in a country were social and historical forces play an important role in their expectations of their potential partner. In addition they live in a country were government enforces family polices. This study contain people who were currently in a university; thus their age would range from eighteen to twenty three. 5. What is the authors’ methodology? How did the authors collect their data? What are the measurements or research tools that they used? The author’s methodology is based on a method, a procedure, measurements of the procedure, and results. The author collected their data by a questionnaire given to university students in the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The measurements the researchers used were in a section on the questionnaire called â€Å"Traits Desired in a Mate† which determine what characteristics they found important in a potential mate. 6. What kind of analytical procedures did the authors use? Describe each as to how they can answer the research questions or achieve the aims of the study. The author uses three types of analytical procedures. They first gather their research by determining which of the twenty-five traits were most and least favored overall. They put this data into a table, which  portrays the importance rating for the total sample. Secondly, they compared the similarities and differences within each culture. As a result, they are able compare each culture traits that hold high or low importance and see if any of them are the same. Third, they compare the mate preferences for women and men in each culture. 7. What are their general findings and conclusions? The study concluded that participants would rather have a mate who is honest, kind, healthy, and have an energetic personality. Researchers found that participants felt that intrinsic personality traits were more important then status characteristics. Males were more entranced with attractiveness as a role in finding their mate. Well women in both culture were looking for men with earning potential and wealth. The major difference between the United States and Chinese cultures was the importance of having children to both parties. As you could imagine, it was important to the American culture and was fairly unimportant to the Chinese counterparts. 8. After the findings and conclusions, what recommendations were made by the researchers? I don’t know if there were recommendations made as much as thoughts for the future. The researchers though that the past has shaped both countries enough that what they look for in a potential mate will stay true. These differences between the two countries should still hold true, disregarding the fact that the Untied States culture is widely accepted in China. If anything they came to the conclusion that China’s one-child policy has a major effect on how the Chinese look for a mate. 9. What learning did you gain from this assignment or from reading this kind of a paper? I definitely enjoyed reading this particular article because it compared the United States culture (which is the country I lived in) to another culture, the People’s Republic of China. Through the researchers questionnaire, I was able to see the comparisons between the two cultures in their mate  preferences. I felt it was interesting to see how important social and economic factors are in other cultures.

Pressure Groups And Stability Of Regime In Pakistan

Pressure Groups And Stability Of Regime In Pakistan The literature review will focus on the issues and the reasons that affect the stability of regime in Pakistan, mainly focusing on the different forms of pressure groups, the role they have played, whether positive or negative in the past and what is the future of Pakistan if these pressure groups continue to be dominating and influential. Also some of the important eras will be highlighted like Zias regime or Musharrafs regime. Most of the articles are basically theory based with no such statistical model applied and basically focus on the prevailing instability in Pakistan and issues related to it. According to the writer the reason behind the instability is basically the lack of a proper political system in Pakistan. No government has survived for long and successfully. The national assembly has been dissolved 10 times and 3 times the reason was military interference. No political parties have worked together in peace. There has been always a conflict of interest or power. At the same time religious parties have created their own brand of Islam and are exploiting the situation. Lack of fair elections and corruption has led to extreme cases like political victimization and political polarisation. Even though democratic political institutions exist they are weak and fragile. Another factor is of the existence of feudal lords, which has caused a structural imbalance between the middle class, and the upper class, which comprises of mostly landlords and industrialists. Majority of the power lies in the hands of the upper class. Another issue that has been highlighted in the article is the ethnic conflict that has been in debate for years. Other issues that are discussed in the article are the role of army, rising power of the religious parties and lack of proper rule of law. To conclude the article discusses that future of Pakistan lies in a more democratic environment where there is less corruption and the role of judiciary would be stronger in maintaining a balance between the arbitrary power and the party in power. Today the masses are more informed about the political system in Pakistan and one way it has contributed to the development of the country as a whole however there are other major factors like increase in the level of suicide attacks, food shortage, water and power shortage which has adversely affected the country. What was a basic ideology for the existence of the country is now more of a pressure group that seeks to gain power by exploiting the constant military intervention and forcing out the secular political parties. The creation of political polarisation amongst civilian and military, among different ethnic groups and provincial groups and among Islamists and secularist has disrupted the regime stability. Also now religious pressure groups have become more powerful, well armed and well financed and influence different branches of government. People have lost trust in the secular parties like Muslim League (Nawaz) and PPP and at the same time most of the military rulers have used Islamist for their own political purpose, be it Zia or be it Musharraf. According to the author the best way to control the growing power of Islamists is through democracy and strengthening the civil society. Also he suggests that U.S intervention in such matter should be taken especially after September 11 attac ks. The biggest limitation of this article is that it focused more on the role of Islamist in the past than their existing role. Also the conclusion is very uncertain and vague as to how should this pressure group be controlled. The condition of Pakistan is deteriorating and if we look at the current scenario the one of the biggest problem the religious groups that has created disruption and fear among the lives of the people. The writer focuses more on the past the past then the future. From 1947-1958 the two most economically powerful pressure groups in West Pakistan were the landlords and the business groups. In East Pakistan the power lied in the hands of the middle class income groups, after the land acquisition act in 1951. Whereas in West Pakistan feudalism was on it peak whereby one-fifth of the cultivable land was owned by one-half of one percent of the owners. Not only were these landowners active in politics by capturing the majority seats in the assembly. In provincial elections in 1951 in the former Punjab about 80 percent of the members elected were landlords. Out of 40 members in the constituent assembly 28 members were landlord groups. The landlords groups have been long engaged in rivalries. As rival groups were more or less in agreement in retaining their landed interests, politics in Pakistan has become a cynical pursuit of sheer power. The domination of feudal lords and family rivalries affected the politics of Pakistan. The influence of business groups was small since at that time there were few industries. It was indirect, whereby they were formally organized and they put effective pressure on the decision-making authorities from outside the governmental institution. The labor class is very weak, but slowly the trade unions are growing strong and influential when it comes to labor issues. Feudal system is still prevalent in the rural areas whereby the decision of the big landlord is considered to be the final verdict. Also the major leaders of political parties have the landowning background be it Asif Ali zardari, Sharif brothers or Altaf hussain. These landowners due to their rivalries have affected the stability in a bad way. Even though this article is very old but is of extreme relevance as discuses the root cause that lead to the emergence of Pressure groups in Pakistan and is can be of importance when comparing the regimes over-time and how the roles have changed. The later impact of this was that when Zias regime ended the position and the jobs that were promised to the religious Ulemas who had no formal education but merely an informal education in the madrasas were rejected. This frustrated the religious militancy, which resulted in an extreme behavior and disruption. Furthermore religious groups can be categorized as the role of Taliban in destruction of Pakistan. The impact of the training of Talibans during the Afghanistan war and providing them with arms and funding them has now become problematic for Pakistan with a huge number of suicide attacks happening and terrorizing the whole country. Zia-ul-haq immense support for the Islamic activists has resulted in the religious polarisation that exists in todays Pakistan. The statistics say that by 1996 there were around 2463 madrasas only in Punjab and 1700 were supported from outside sources that included the Persian Gulf and Middle East. These Islamic teaching centers are more now a centr al place for the political activities. Thus, it can be concluded from this article that the rise of Islamists and constant battle between Sunni and Shia has resulted in instability in Pakistan over the years. However Pakistan which is presided by Musharraf and is in the shackles of economic recession and anarchy needs heavy financing for not only sustaining the Musharrafs regime but also its economic well being. Despite strong U.S alliance it doesnt do a sufficient to save Pakistan from drenching. Religious extremism diverts a lot of attention of the government of Pakistan as the attacks and events leading to deaths and bloodshed have recently increased in the country. People feel insecure and threatened by their own fellows. In the name of religion wrong doers are exploiting the weaker ones. Military has taken over the country, sometimes directly by enforcing Marshal law and sometimes indirectly by influencing the government when making the decisions. Also the prevailing condition as the country is on the verge of Civil war military is more active within the country than on the outskirts to protect it from its neighbors. The four categories of elites are economic, political social and religious. Each of these exerts different levels of influence over the government. According to the author Political elites include, officers, and members of large landowning families. Economic elites include the industrialist class, which can be considered as newly wealthy and newly influential. The conflict between the two elite classes is one of the major reasons for instability. As 4th president has been dismissed since 1988, the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the majority of seats however Benazir Bhutto claimed that the elections were unfair and there has been extensive fraud. Although PPP became popular because of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for giving an ordinary man a political voice but Benazir ruled the party in a completely opposite opinion of her father by supporting privatization over nationalization and viewing US as a major ally rather than a potential threat. From a position of weakness in martial law period the judiciary has began to re-assert its independence. However, the role of judges is still controversial. The emergence of free press was a positive sign but at the same time, Pakistans mismanagement of economies reflects the weakness of the political structure. The political game has taken over a priority in the long-term policy making. Problems such as fiscal deficiency, debt and long-term business interest erosion have always drifted the economi c cursor. The increase in ethnic fragmentation, religious extremism and centralization if political power has created political crisis which needs to be solved as soon as possible otherwise it will result in civil war amongst the ethnic groups, domestic and international terrorism and implementation of marshal law. Not only the government of Pakistan should work on this but also should form allies with the external players like US, Japan and European Union (EU). Furthermore in this article the author talked about the regime of Nawaz Sharif as this article is written during that period of time. Here the writer highlights some of policies adopted by Nawaz Sharif, in which he aims at centralizing the power to the central and creating anarchy. Furthermore the conflicts between the ethnic groups have increased widely whereby Punjab is considered to be the most popular, developed and largely focused on in terms of allocating resources, improving education system. This has resulted in other 3 provinc es becoming more backward and less developed and sense of deprivation. The writer also discusses on how the civil institution have weakened during Nawaz Sharifs era as he is trying to gain popular support of the military. Other problems that were identified in the article were drug trafficking and settling of refugees. In conclusion the writer has basically focused on support from the international players. first is democratization and civil-military relations; and second islamization and Islamisms relation to the state. Both of issues are separate yet interdependent on each other and needs to be analyzed and focused on as the future of the country is at stake. The writer also highlighted Musharrafs era and despite that he was more liberal than Zia but he used the brand of Islam and is exploiting the public.

Essay --

Virginia Lash Professor Leedom Earliest Christianity December 2013 Nag Hammadi Library In 1945, two unsuspecting brothers stumbled upon a jar that contained thirteen ancient codices, or texts, in Upper Egypt that had been hidden away for centuries. Their discovery would reshape the world's understanding of religion in more ways than one. These codices, later referred to as the Nag Hammadi library, enlightened the world about an ancient movement known as Gnosticism. In addition, this library revealed itself to be the source that countless scholarly works had referred to for centuries. This chance unearthing has brought much attention and debate to the subjects of earliest Christianity and Gnosticism and its significance in the ancient world, The Nag Hammadi library brought forth a new understanding of Gnosticism, a way to reassess religions in the ancient world, and a new perspective on early Christianity. The unbelievable discovery and analysis of the Nag Hammadi Library also brings a sense of hope, faith that in time more historical discoveries will come about and we will be further enlightened about our pasts, and therefore further prepared for our future. The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library was an odd one. Two brothers Muhammad Ali al-Samman and Abu al-Majd were digging around the cliffs of Al-Oasr for a valuable fertilizer. As they were searching they came across a jar, hoping they had struck gold, the brothers smashed the jar open and instead of being filled with ancient treasures, the contents revealed themselves to be â€Å"thirteen books containing fifty-three texts, a total of 1,153 pages These books turned out to be an astonishing find with significant impact. They were found to be ancient mostly gnostic texts... ...put it â€Å"it helped liberate Gnosticism from the predominantly negative aura that surrounded it. It could be examined as a movement in its own right and on its own terms† . The discovery had a significant impact on how the modern world now viewed the previously unknown and misunderstood movement that was Gnosticism. The unearthing of these texts sparked a new interest in finding out what Gnosticism and how the early Christian Church operated. The texts provided the world a map showing the different perspectives and the lively debates that were happening around the Roman Empire. It showed how the ancient world was a very diverse place when it came to the different sects of all the religions. The Nag Hammadi Codices show how the Gnostics were truly part of that debate circulating their own works with what they thought was the truth, which others had deigned a heresy.

Gender Roles in The Cosby Show Essay -- Gender Television Media The Co

Gender Roles in The Cosby Show On September 20, 1984 a show aired that changed the way we view gender roles on television. Television still perpetuates traditional gender stereotypes and in reflecting them TV reinforces them by presenting them as the norm (Chandler, 1). The Cosby Show, challenged the typical gender stereotyping of television, daring to go against the dominant social values of its time period. In its challenge of the dominant social view, the show redefined the portrayal of male and female roles in television. It redefined the gender role in the work place, in social expectations, and in household responsibilities. The Cosby Show supported Freidan in her view of â€Å"castigating the phony happy housewife heroine of the women’s magazines† (Douglas 136). The Cosby Show is a wonderful sitcom about Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, commonly known as Cliff, and his family. The show revolved around the day-to-day situations faced by Cliff and Clair Huxtable and their five children. The show goes away from the one-liners that most sitcoms boasted and focused on the humor of real life situations that often occur in an average middle class family. Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable was a successful OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist), who was equally as involved in domestic tasks as his wife Clair. Cliff had a great part in raising his five children and dealing with their emotional and physical problems. Cliff’s wife Clair Huxtable was a successful partner in a large law firm, who balanced her busy career with her family. She filled the role as the head of the household and always made sure to keep not only her kids but also her husband Cliff in line. The eldest daughter, Sondra Huxtable was a very serious, intelligent, and hard working young woman who had a plan for her life. Her hard studies in high school and goal-oriented mind landed her at the prestigious Princeton University. The second oldest daughter Denise Huxtable had the gift of a good sense of humor. She liked to test her parents with her rather eccentric dress and viewpoints on life. The only son Theo Huxtable was an extroverted and witty young man. He played out the typical teenage boy role of putting friends, cars, and girls before school. Vanessa Huxtable, the second youngest daughter was an intelligent girl, who often came off very air-headed in the show. Her focus during the show was to give off a b... ... for your life. If a woman wants to be a housewife who focuses on raising her children or a career woman, it is her choice ultimately. If a man wants to be equally involved in his career and family, it should be his choice too. It should not matter what the gender stereotype is and this show helps women and men believe that the individual feeling is often more important than the typical societal belief. I think the show does this to make a statement to the society that gender stereotypes are often wrong and only based on tradition. The Cosby Show went against the norm to show that the opposite side of the societal gender roles were also perfectly acceptable practices. The Cosby Show might have made a leap into uncharted territory with sitcoms of its time period, but in doing so it gave us a glimpse of the gender roles of today. Work Cited Bordo, Susan "Gender Matters: Gentleman or Beast? The Double Blind of Masculinity" Keller 163-174. Chandler, Daniel. Television and Gender Roles. 4 Jan. 2004. 31 Jan. 2005 . Douglas, Susan "Gender Matters: Genies and Witches." Keller 135-148. Keller, Michael, ed. Reading Popular Culture: An Anthology for Writers. Iowa: Dubuque, 2002.

The Normality of my Family Essay -- Essays Papers

The Normality of my Family According to The American Heritage Dictionary the word normal means â€Å"conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level or type; typical.†However, in the culture we live in, these standards, patterns, levels, and types vary drastically. What is considered normal in one region, state, city, neighborhood, or even household maybe completely different in another. As Americans we share many traditions, customs, values and views, and at the same time, we all live very differently; that is what makes this nation so great. Most people seem to consider their own lifestyle, to be perfectly normal, even if it is nothing like that of someone else. So if we all live so differently, what is normal and who defines it? I was brought up in the town of Smallville, USA. Smallville is the kind of place were almost everyone knows each other, and familiar faces are always everywhere. Friday night football games are about the most exciting thing to happen all week. There is only one grocery store, a few stop lights, and all two lane roads, many of which are dirt.To me, this is completely normal, but that is because it is what I am used to. Until now, it was all I had ever known. I had lived in Ortonville all my life. A few days ago my ‘city slicker’ room mate and I were out running around.We were not far from my hometown so we decided to make a slight detour so she could see where I was from. We drove through the tiny downtown of Ortonville, past my High School, and by my house. She was amazed. To her, it was like being up north!She even compared it to being like â€Å"her Grandparents cottage in the upper peninsula.†She kept cracking jokes about cows out numbering people and such.We b oth got a... ...ir relationship as normal. In way they kind of reminds me of Tammy, from People Like Us. Tammy put her families relationship on the line at times so that she could provide for them. Sometimes I feel that way about my parents. I get the feeling that they think that providing us with a nice house, new cars, and fancy furniture is more important than their happiness. I would love to see my parents do things like go on dates, cuddle, and even just talk about things other than business. To answer my own question, what is normal and who defines it, I would just like to say that normality is something that everyone defines for themselves. We all have different views on what is normal. Normality is just what you know, what you were brought up with, what you are used to. It is everything and anything you want it to be, and that is why it is such a wonderful thing.

Labor Relations

In this paper, unions and labor relations will be defined and their impact on organizations will be elaborated. Also, the impact of changes in employee relations strategies, policies, and practices on organizational performance will be examined. After this, the question â€Å"Are unions still relevant in the U.S.?† will be answered. Furthermore, the campaign, the election, contract negotiations, grievance handling, arbitrations, labor relations, and strikes will be addressed. Labor unions and labor relations Labor unions, which are the watchdogs and negotiators for the American workforce, are a way of collectively bargaining with employers for fair working conditions and fair wages. The craft unions or skilled laborers and industrial unions or laborers in the same industry, regardless of skill are the two types of labor unions that are organized. In the U.S. Groups of highly-trained carpenters, tailors, printers, and weavers in the colonial age, the seed of modern labor unions were the guilds. Guilds, which are economic and social in nature, are associations of persons who are involved in the same craft or business. The workers who members of guilds are banded together so that the quality standards would be maintained and the employers’ hiring of skilled laborers from home would be ensured. In the mid-19th century, there was an increase in the number of new industrial unions which were created for the assertion of workers’ rights. This change in the personality of the American workforce was due to the invention of the steam engine and other industrial advancements. The Knights of Labor, which inaugurated the Labor Day holiday in 1882, was one of the most important industrial unions. In the 1890s, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed. It is composed of the craft unions which include both skilled and unskilled laborers. The federation was formed because its member craft unions were opposed to the composition of the Knights of Labor’s membership. The United Mine Workers and the Danburry Hatters case in 1902 were ones of the early conflicts and strikes included in this period. In the 1930s, when the Great Depression took place, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was formed. Many of the members of CIO were the dissidents of the AFL who favors industrial unionism. Workers in the steel, rubber, auto, maritime, glass, and meat packing industries were some of the major constituents of the CIO. In spite of the conflicts during the 30s and 40s, a powerful body known as the AFL-CIO was formed from the merging of the two national organizations in 1955. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the U.S. government. It was created under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 or the Wagner Act and was amended by the acts of 1947 or the Taft-Harley Labor Act and 1949 or the Landrum-Griffin Act. The board affirmed the rights of the labor to organize and bargain collectively through representatives they chose or to refrain from such activities. The board which is composed of five members is assisted by 33 regional directors. The members are appointed by the U.S. President with the approval of the Senate for five-year terms. The proper bargaining units are determined, the elections for union representation are conducted, and the charges of unfair labor practices by employers are investigated by the board. Coercion, interference, or restraint in labor’s self-organizational rights is included in the unfair practices (Villanueva Siasoco). A research study revealed that the collaboration of an organization (such as community organizations) and a labor union is an impetus for change. For example, the labor unions and community organizations in Greater Boston, which have worked together in recent years, have achieved remarkable successes. Some of their victories include the passing of a Boston living wage ordinance, an increase in the minimum wage in Massachusetts, improvement in union contracts and in workplace conditions, an earned income tax credit on state income taxes, $6 million state job training program for 1, 500 workers, and a number of progressive tax policies which includes a new tax on capital gains. These significant achievements in Boston are reverberated throughout the country. This is manifested by the continuous formation of alliances by community organizations with the organized labor. Again, these alliances are formed for the purpose of tackling problems that affect the lives of the low-wage workers. The Service Employees International Union, which is known for its successful Justice for Janitors campaigns, is one of the unions that organize low-wage workers. The Hotel Employees and Restaurant Union is also a low wage-workers union. These unions are included in the most vibrant and fastest growing organizations in the country. The collaboration of labor unions and community organizations is really needed for the achievement of long-term goals of economic and social justice. The need for the collaboration is being intensified by the changes in the national economy over the last few decades. One the changes that forces for a collaboration of labor unions and community organizations is the shifting of the economy from higher-paying manufacturing jobs to lower-paying jobs in the service sector. Similarly, the public policy efforts for the promotion of the welfare of working families in general are being broadened by the labor movement. The national AFL-CIO, under the new leadership since 1995, has devoted increased resources to advocate policies. These policies include the universal health care coverage which is intended to benefit all American who are working (not only those who are members of unions) and the raising of the federal minimum wage. One of the impacts of labor unions in policies is the announcement of support of amnesty for undocumented immigrants by the AFL-CIO in February, 2000. In addition, the AFl-CIO also played a major role in organizing, planning, and supporting the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride of 2003. This ride is a nationwide effort which aims to raise the visibility of the issues of the immigrant workers (Ranghelli 4). On the other hand, the impact of changes on employees is the decrease in the purchase of labor by employers because of the higher wages won by unions. The success in asserting for higher wages and better working conditions also reduced the number of jobs available (Reynolds). Are unions still relevant in the U.S.? The question â€Å"Are unions still relevant in the U.S.?† does not need anymore time to think about. Unions are absolutely relevant in the U.S. Considering the economic situation today, wherein the trend is to shift from higher-paying jobs to lower-paying jobs, to use more machines than labor force, and to employ contractualization, the exploitation of the labor sector becomes more intense. Thus, unions play a vital role in achieving economic and social justice. Considering the opinions raised by Reynolds, it is very shallow to say that the labor unions are the anticompetitive force in the labor markets. It is very inhumane to think of workers as simply inputs that are needed to be purchased in order for a process such as production or manufacturing to materialize. It is in this thinking where the exploitation of the laborers’ rights arises. Regarding campaigns and elections, union officers are elected based on the standards established by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA). Officers in the local unions are elected through secret balloting. On the other hand, officers of the national and international unions are elected either by secret balloting of the members or by delegates who are chosen by the secret ballot. The election of the officers of the national and international unions is held at least every five years. For the intermediate bodies, the election of officers is held at least every four years and for the local unions, election of officers is held at least every three years. The funds of a union may be used in conducting an election. Also, it is an option for the employers and unions to use their funds in promoting the candidacy of any candidate (http://www.dol.gov/compliance/topics/unions-elections.htm). Collective bargaining refers to the negotiations between an employer and a group of employees. Negotiations are done so that the conditions of employment would be determined. The result of the procedures of the collective bargaining is called collective agreement. Union or other labor organizations represent the employees in bargaining. Federal and state statutory laws, judicial decisions, and administrative agency regulations govern collective bargaining. Arbitration refers to the method of dispute resolution. This method is used as an alternative to litigation. Arbitration is usually used to resolve disputes between employers and employees during a collective bargaining (http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Collective_bargaining#collective_bargaining_and_labor_arbitration:_an_overview). Usually, strike is the last resort taken by workers in addressing their grievances. Holding mass pickets is the most effective way to involve all strikers. Although strikes may mean decrease in wages or dismissal from work, success in such solidarity actions is effectively achieved through picketing the workplaces of the workers (http://libcom.org/organise/guide-to-taking-strike-action). The aforementioned concepts support the answer that unions are still relevant in the U.S. For example, the funds of unions are very vital during an election because may be used to promote the candidacy of a certain candidate who, when elected, must address the concerns not only of the workers but the families in general. Also, it is very significant in addressing the welfare of the people because what labor unions fight for is not just their interests but the interests of the masses. Again, labor union should not be viewed as a hindrance for the economic development. It is not enough to say that a country is developed based on a high gross national product which is achieved through lower cost of production that includes lower wages for the laborers. Higher gross national product which is achieved through exploitations of workers does not mean economic and social justice. Reference Collective bargaining and labor arbitration: an overview. Retrieved November 18, 2006, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Collective_bargaining#collective_bargaini  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ng_and_labor_arbitration:_an_overview John. (November 11, 2006). Guide to taking strike action. Retrieved November 18, 2006,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   from http://libcom.org/organise/guide-to-taking-strike-action National Labor Relations Board. Retrieved November 18, 2006, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/bus/A0834954.html Ranghelli. (March 2005). Joining Forces Community Organizations and Labor Unions Form   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Collaborations. Retrieved November 18, 2006, from Unions and Union Members: Union Elections. Retrieved November 18, 2006, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.dol.gov/compliance/topics/unions-elections.htm Villanueva Siasoco, Ricco. Hard Labor. How unions fought to honor the American worker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved November18, 2006, from http://www.factmonster.com/spot/labor1.html       Labor Relations Labor relation entails policies and daily practices that are concerned with the regulation and management of individual and team relationships within the organization. Essentially, employee relations are centered on the ability to resolve and prevent conflicts that involve either an individual or the teams in the organization which directly affect work situations and performance. Efficient communication ensures that information is passed to the employees in order to allow them understand better the company’s goals and objectives. Most employee relations managers uphold the responsibility of handling grievances, individual code of conduct while in the office, evaluation of employee performance and counseling programs. Sound employee relations are based on participation and effective communication for both the management and the employees. There are various management styles that cover the way employee relations must be conducted in order to achieve the best from the employees. (Selid, 1995) Trade unions are organized groups of employees officially recognized by both the government and their employer that have come together to promote their common interests. Trade unions have a responsibility of ensuring get the value of what they work for. They are directed to provide a communication channel between the employer and the employees. In some cases, In the United States, trade unions are registered by the specific State that it operates from and they are ratified by the federal government. The United States have a national advisory board referred to as Employee Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) that is concerned with formulating national policies which must be adhered to by individual Employee Relations Advisory Organization (ERAO) which every institution including airline companies must have. At least one representative of ERAO is elected to sit at the Employee Relations Advisory Board. In an airline setting for example, their union is responsible for providing the company’s management with suggestions on how to solicit and disseminate information on plans and programs that are designed for employees who will enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace. (Employee Relations Advisory Organization, 2004) There are impact of changes in employee relations strategies, policies, and practices on organizational performance. For example if employees within an organization are represented by a trade union fully recognized by the same organization e.g. the airline company and the government, cooperation between the employer that is airline company and its employees will be enhanced the workplace. Good and sound formulated strategies and policies that relates to labor relations in organization particularly the airline companies will lead to attainment of organizations goals and pursuing the company’s mission statement in the direct path. There are various management styles that cover the way employee relations must be conducted in order to achieve the best from the employees. These management styles are intended to teach employees the following; applicable regulations and policies, bargaining agreements, grievance and appeal rights, and discrimination and protection of whistleblowers. The impact of changes in employee relations has broadened its definition from the initial industrial relations to such aspects as employer-employee relations, personal contracts, workplace environmental safety, and socio-emotional factors. In developed countries like in the U.S and mostly in airline industries, there is a growing trend of harmonization in almost all levels of government mainly because of the government commitment to enhance employee relations programs. (Sparrow and Hilltop, 1994) Trade unions plays a very major role in trying to protect the rights of employees who form there membership and research indicates that they still relevant in the U.S. administration because they have the task of ensuring that employees rights regarding to the workplace are protected. However, due to corruption and other malpractices the effectiveness of these trade unions has been compromised over the last few years. Research indicates that the employers in the U.S. for example employers in the airline industry are reported to be harassing there employees in the pretext that they are giving out instructions to be obeyed in order to achieve the stated organizational goals, a development which does not auger well with trade unions in the U.S. (Delaney and Huselid, 1996) In general, these trade unions has the following roles, labor climate assessment, positive employee relation programs, union campaigns and election objectives, unfair labor practices such as poor wages and unfounded dismissals, dealing with workplace harassment, coordinating and implementing cooperate relations programs, and handling complaint/issue resolution processes in the respective organizations among others. The only problem that normally cause misunderstanding between the trade unions and the companies or government is that the trade unions can organize go slows, strikes, destructions etc when round table solutions to issues fails. This is very hard for a company to control but with negotiations, it can reach an agreement. Trade unions officials are responsible to their members and they are usually elected to office mainly through secret ballots. This implies those vying for any seats have to campaign for votes from the union members. Sometimes some officials use unfair campaign strategies that do not foster fairness and equality among the contenders. Also these trade union officials play a significant role in any country’s general election because they can influence their members on what directions to vote e.g. advising the members to vote out the present government because of some dissatisfaction that they have with it. Trade unions plays an important role contract negotiations; almost everything can be bargained these days and therefore with employee relations through trade unions such issues as awarding contracts, compensations, benefits, and work schedules can be sorted out by discussing them until a solution is achieved. The bargaining approach settles conflicts that arise as a result of contract matters. It also outlines the rules with which the basis of handling specific work agreements is sorted out. Normally, if this approach is well utilized, employee relations are greatly improved. Grievance handling in any organization is very crucial to all organizations and at least every company has some way of dealing with their grievances. In fact, it is considered that a few individuals in a company are so arrogant that they are font of harassing their workmates leading to poor productivity. Companies need to develop a grievance handling procedure that will ensure that conflicts are eliminated in the organization. Without proper handling grievances of the employees well trade unions may call for strikes to force the government to implement their desired changes. In the recent past strikes and go-slows have become common methods which employees use them to pass their grievances to their employers. (Brewster, 1995) It is therefore prudent for management of any organization to adopt employee recognition strategies. This is another factor that the employers put into consideration for the organization to improve its employee relations; this is basically a communication instrument, which strengthens and compensates the most significant production that the employees have created for the organization. The recognition structure is always made simple, instant, and effectively supportive to the employees’ relations and the organization at large. (Chevrier, 2003) Reference: Brewster. C (1995): Towards a European Model of Human Resource Management- Journal of International Business. Vol 26 Pp 45-67 Chevrier, S. (2003): Cross-cultural management in multinational project groups Journal of World Business. Vol.38. Pp 77-89 Delaney. J and Huselid. M (1996):- The impact of human resource management practices on perceptions of performance in for-profit and non-profit organizations. Academy of Management Journal. Vol 39. Pp 34-56 Employee Relations Advisory Organization, (2004): Labor Relations Washington D.C, Article 2. Pp 5-29 Murray, A. (1989): Top management group heterogeneity and firm performance. Strategic Management Journal Vol. 10, Special issue. Pp 13-34 Selid, M. (1995):- The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance- Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 38. Pp 54-76 Sparrow, P. and Hilltop, J. (1994): European Human Resource Management in Transition. Prentice Hall, New York. Pp 23-45               

Differences and similarity of living at home and living away from home Essay

In western world, people tend to move out from their domicile home from the age 18 because it is part of their culture which they must learn to live by themselves. For eastern world, some people slightly change their way of culture to the western culture whereas the other people still follow their traditional path; to live with family. Home is a place of domicile where people live together in a group of family. At some moment in life, for any reasons, living away from home is inevitable situation. For example, some students who live away from home by living in dormitory or rent house because they have to study beyond their homeland or they want to live near their college for conveniences. For workers, in order to save time of transportation, they choose to live near their workplace. For some people, they just want to live away from home because they want to live independently from family. As you can see, there are many reasons to live away from home. Living beyond home can be both co nvenience and inconvenience. One way to decide between both living styles is to compare them on your differences and similarity point of views. The first difference you can notice is living condition. Most of your own home is the most comfortable place to live mentally and physically. Living at home creates a feeling of security, relief and family. For example, if you cannot deal with any problem, you can share with your family and they might suggest a quick solution to you which help you feel less stress. If you have siblings, you can have activities with them such as, playing games, cooking or sharing life experiences. Sitting on a Sunday morning watching TV with family , helping your dad organizes his things or having a nice chat with your mom makes you realize how valuable your family really is because these activities can provide you to feel lively without lonely. In contrast, if you live alone beyond your home, you might need some good suggestion from them to help you feel more secure. Otherwise, you might encounter some difficult situation or loneliness. Of course, living at home is not only for a pleasure of feeling but also make you feel physically more convenience. At home you have plenty of home facilities and foods. You never worry about the washing day for your clothes because you might have someone else to do that or you just throw it in your washing machine. You will have a comfortable bed at your own home for relaxing in some exhausted day. For foods, you can  eat your favourite foods as much as you want because your parents will take a responsibility to provide foods for you. On the contrary, living away from home is a little bit inconvenience. For example, if you feel hungry you have to go out to the supermarket to get some food. Moreover, in order to balance your time for daily routine, you have to plan for your foods shopping day and estimate your own consumption. As a consequence, living at home can be different in living condition compared with living away from home. By the way, living away from home does not mean yo u will feel less convenience and less lively. At your own life, you can have your necessary facilities or you will have friends, colleagues, boyfriend or girlfriend to share your emotion. You might never feel lonely from being alone; instead, you might feel more enjoyable with friends. The second difference is independence. It is precisely clear that living away from home is living by your own destiny, you have to steer your own life; that is, you have a freedom. For some family, freedom is limited by parent’s rules; as a result, you have to obey all their rules because it is part of life lessons that they want to provide you. For example, you have to come back home or sleep on time when you live with family. Other rules are such as, table manners, using mobile phone at home and house manners. On the other hand, living on your own far away from family gives you a lot of experiences toward organizing your life. If you live by yourself, you can come back home whenever you want without telling or asking permission from your parents. You can go out for a whole night party and have some drink or enjoy eating fast food as much as you want because of living without parents. It is predictable that you must have a good and strong meaning of responsibility to live by yourself. Otherwise, if you indulge yourself too much, your life can be difficult from being disorganized. The third difference is environment. This factor can be varying which depends on the place you move to, so you might experience the new place where culture and weather are difference from your homeland. This factor can be easily noticed among both foreign students and workers. Some people who live away from home; they don’t culturally familiar with people, fashion and foods; as a consequence, they might encounter some cultural shock, embarrassed outfit or lose weight due to strange foods. Weather is another factor for environmental difference. Living away from home can be different and sometimes uncomfortable for some people who immediately move their residence in the different biome. Some people might consider as an excitement moment, whereas another people can be suffered from unfamiliar climate. Therefore, culture and weather differences are environmental factor which you do not forget to consider before moving. In my opinion, adaptation is the key; that is, to stick to your most important values that according to things or situations and changes those things that you believe they can be improved yourself. The last difference is finance. People who live away from home have difference in financial status from people who live at home; thus, people who live at home might be better in financial situation from people who live away from home. For example, if you are a student who lives at home, you never worry about paying bill for public utilities, renting, mortgages or foods; therefore, you can save money and have a good finance; thus, you can indulge yourself by shopping luxury goods or going out for a foreign trip. On the contrary, people who live away from home have to balance their finance in order to live until the next payment comes out. However, for students, living alone does not mean it difficult to live. There are many organizations which provide you a good financial recommendation; alternatively, you can do a part-time job to earn more money for your living cost. As mentioned earlier, in spite of these differences, there is similarity among living at home and living away from ho me. One similarity is responsibility. If you live at home, you also have responsibility to fulfill, just as people who live away from home; that is, housework. At least, you have to tidy up your bedroom, cleaning up your family’s room if they ask for help unless you have a housewife. Similarly, if you live away from home you will have the same duty as you are at home. Moreover, you have to plan and organize your cleaning day for balancing your schedule. Therefore, two styles of living are similar in responsibility; however, living away from home seems to need more organization for your routine. In conclusion, if you think to move out, you should consider the difference of living condition, independence, environment and finance from your domicile  residence. Moreover, adaptation is the key for success for living by your own. However, responsibility is the one similarity in both styles of living which you should maintain the habit. Otherwise, your life can be out of track.