1920s Essay

1. Two philosophies, Social Darwinism and eugenics, were two philosophies that affected societal actions from the 1900s well into the late 1920s. Examine the social issue of Social Darwinism and eugenics. Assess the consequences these two issues had for individuals and society in general; consider how the fallacy of these two issues was brought to light. (6a) 2. Red Scare- The U. S. experienced inflation at the end of WWI and this inflation resulted in riots and a. What main ideas prompted the Red Scare? b. Compare and contrast the Red Scare with Social Darwinism. (6a) 3.Immigration- Immigration was a contentious issue for the country during the 1920s; the United States passed the National Origins Act in 1929. a. As a citizen of the 1920s, question your congressional representative by assessing the social and economic consequences of this act. (6a) b. Speculate on that you think what the societal impact of present day immigration policies is. 4. Prohibition- The prohibition era was u shered in by the 18th Amendment which outlawed the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages; however, the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th amendment in 1933. (6a) a.Identify the ideas and the historical highlights that led to the Prohibition era. b. Analyze the positive and negative effects of this era. 5. The Changing role of women- The text describes the 1920s as a time of the emergence of the â€Å"New† woman (Carnes 647). a. Evaluate the democratic means used to bring about the passage of the 19th amendment. In other words, what democratic processes were utilized to achieve this victory? (23b) b. Analyze the impact of the 19th amendment which changed the role of women? c. Preview the characteristics of the new woman and describe the impact that technology played in bringing about this change. 6a) d. How are women’s roles changing this today and how does these changes affect men? 6. Urban-Rural conflicts emerged during the 1920s and one of these c onflicts was fundamentalism. â€Å"Fundamentalists rejected the theory of evolution as well as advanced the hypotheses on the origins of the universe. † (Carnes: 653). Part of rejecting this theory was to prevent schools from teaching the theory of evolution in science classes. a. Describe the court case mentioned in chapter 24 that tested this issue. b. Distinguish between the roles played by Clarence Darrow and William Jennings. c.Think critically about the evidence presented by both lawyers and prepare questions that you would have asked them had you been the judge in this case. 7. New Technology flourished during the 1920s and brought a measure of prosperity to the country. Among the new technology was the automobile industry which thrived during the 1920s as a result of consumer demands. a. Assess the impact that Henry Ford had on the auto industry and on American society. (6b) b. Assess the impact that the automobile had on society. 8. Aviation Technology- The Great War hastened the evolution of airplane technology.Many new pilots showed off their aviation skills performing aerial acrobats and other adventurous feats at county shows in the 1920s. But an early aviation pioneer, Charles Lindberg, achieved a different type of aviation accomplishment in the 1920s. a. Examine the impact that this event and Lindberg had on the field of aviation and on American society. Thinking Critically In a paragraph, synthesize your thoughts about the cause and effect of the significant events, social issues and individuals of the 1920; consider how this decade contributed to the history of the United States and the identity of its citizens.Intro (revise): The 1920s enabled the United States to assume a greater economic role on the world stage. Unlike the major European powers at the time, the U. S. did not have to rebuild its economic infrastructure following World War I, enabling it to flourish and exhibit influence over many aspects of life during this decade. Th is included an increase in item production, the emergence of the automobile and the radio, and changes in American social and cultural life. The 1920s were an important decade in American history.This would be the decade that laid the foundation for the journey that would propel the United States to the status of greatest world power. The 1920s had an impact on all parts of the American development. {{Consider: Ninety years ago, the United States was a different place. There were 107 million people living here; life expectancy was 54 years for men and 55 for women; the average annual salary was $1,236, and Gangland crime was rampant in major cities. The Ford automobile was mass produced and one could be had for $290 — although it took 13 days to reach California from New York due to the lack of paved roads.And, On Aug. 26, 1920, women were granted political power for the first time. }} Social Darwinism/Eugenics: Social Darwinism was a popular theory of society that emerged in the late 19th/early 20th century. It was the ideology that people are the products of their social environments– that poverty is in fact a social condition and that people become criminals because of social and economic conditions, etc. It developed the belief that society's problems were not caused by oppressive economic conditions, but rather that social problems were caused by genetic inferiority.This was adopted by many wealthy and upper-class Americans and was related to the development of the ideology of â€Å"Social Darwinism,† the idea that certain people were â€Å"genetically† more fit and that the more fit legitimately had  the right to rule the inferior. The idea that poverty, crime and ignorance are a product of social conditions was a threat to the dominant members of society because the call was for these dominant members of society to reform their ways to create increased equality for all people.It is out of all of these ideas that the America n eugenics programs began, funded by wealthy Americans such as Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller. The idea was that people were born poor or born criminal, etc. They were â€Å"bad seeds†, and thus the problem of poverty was not really a social problem, it was a problem of bloodline, to be fixed by selective breeding programs, forced sterilization, and the maintenance of â€Å"racial purity†. Racial purity was the idea that races â€Å"should not mix† out of the fear that if whites and blacks ixed the inferior black bloodline would â€Å"corrupt† the white bloodline, leading to more crime, poverty, and ignorance. Between 1900 and 1930 in the United States, support for eugenics continued to grow. The fallacy of selective breeding in humans was only realized when the wealthy were suddenly poor, and the reality of genocide had demonstrated the extreme end of eugenics—in other words, with the shock of the Great Depression and the rise of Adolf Hitle r in Nazi Germany, which ushered in the Holocaust.But the dissolution of eugenics in the United States was a slow process, because racial discrimination persisted. Involuntary sterilization laws, enacted in the early 1900s, were finally repealed in 1979. The Red Scare: The Red Scare of 1919 occurred at a time when the American people felt threatened by the rising tide of Communism in Russia, widespread labor unrest, and the often bizarre forms of Anarchism and Anarcho-syndicalism that were supported by some recent immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.The Scare itself was caused by the revelation in April of that year that a militant Communist group existed in the United States, and that it was plotting to send mail bombs to a number of prominent figures in the government (Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, for example) and several rich capitalists (J. P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller, among others). On June 2nd 1919, bombs exploded in eight different cities within an hour of each other. One of the targets was Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, whose home was bombed. He was unharmed, but very angry! The most important government response was the beginning of the Palmer Raids.These were a series of mass arrests and deportations of immigrants who were suspected of being Communists or radicals. Between 4,000 and 10,000 individuals were arrested over the next two years. (J. Edgar Hoover, only 24 at the time, was placed in charge of the Raids). Prisoners were questioned without access to attorneys and their bail was often set so high none could afford it. Many were beaten during their arrest or questioning. The raids were initially highly praised by the public and press. In the early years of the 1920s, the scare seemed to disappear as quickly as it had begun. Immigration:Passed in 1924, this law placed a limit on immigration. Americans were becoming outraged at the amount of jobs they were losing to immigrants and there was also a wide-spread pa nic of potential spies amongst the immigrants. The act sharply restricted the total number of immigrants who could come to the United States and established quotas for various nationality groups. The chief purpose of the act was to limit the number of â€Å"less desirable† immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and from Japan, many of whom had played a vital role in the nation's industrial development. The Prohibition:Prohibition was a period of nearly fourteen years of U. S. history in which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal. It led to the first and only time an Amendment to the U. S. Constitution was repealed. After the American Revolution, drinking was on the rise. To combat this, a number of societies were organized as part of a new Temperance movement which attempted to dissuade people from becoming intoxicated. At first, these organizations pushed moderation, but after several decades, the movement's focus changed to complete proh ibition of alcohol consumption.The Temperance movement blamed alcohol for many of society's ills, especially crime and murder. Saloons, a social haven for men who lived in the still untamed West, were viewed by many, especially women, as a place of debauchery and evil. Prohibition, members of the Temperance movement urged, would stop husbands from spending all the family income on alcohol and prevent accidents in the workplace caused by workers who drank during lunch. Changing Role of Women: The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote.It was proposed on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920. Consequently, the impact of this was enormous–it gave to women the same power and control that men had, although still held back by the values of the day. But it did create a strong influence and created a cultural impact. It gave women of the era more confidence and a sense that they could accomplish more. –and a thirst for more freedoms in a world where previousl y they were considered second class and only as a man's property. The lifestyle changes of the 1920's showed how big and important that impact was.Women became much more confident and wanted to utilize this new â€Å"power† in other areas, too. They gave up many of the â€Å"controlling† aspects of the Victorian age, from the long and buttoned up clothes to new aspects of personal freedom–they started to live outside the confines of being a wife and homemaker–women got jobs outside the home, they started playing sports, they shortened their dressed and bobbed their hair–and had fun! The Roaring Twenties was a new age, and an age where women first started enjoying more freedom and influence.That has continued on to this day, although there is still work needed to level the playing field between men and women. Technology: He had a huge impact on society by inventing and mass producing the Model-T car, which made cars all the rage from that point onwa rd. He is basically the father of the modern auto industry. He also helped America out of the Depression when he contributed to build the Hoover Dam, which at the time when it was built was the largest hydro-electric dam in the world.Aviation Technology: Charles A. Lindbergh did not just open a passageway to Europe; he opened up the hopes and interests of people who never thought they would see beyond their continental boundaries. His flight opened up possibilities. Prior to Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight, it seemed travel was confined to the ground or the sea; and even cars and wagons were blocked by waterways or treacherous terrain, and boats exposed to rough seas. Travel had boundaries rior to Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic, but after his flight people could see beyond those boundaries. Works Cited: Social Darwinism: Consequences: http://rationalrevolution. net/articles/rise_of_american_fascism. htm http://www. vectorsite. net/taevo_05. html Fallacy brough t to light: http://www. freemarketfoundation. com/ShowArticle. asp? ArticleType=Publication&ArticleID=170 http://immigration. laws. com/national-origins-act

Hebrew Wisdom on Diligence and Laziness Essay

Part I 1) I chose the Islam worldview i)The Question of Origin– Islams believe that man came into being through a long process of evolution. They believe the evolutionary process which produced man in its form today took millions of years, and man evolved from lower forms of animal life. In their belief,it was only small types of animals in the beginning, and in the course of time animals got larger and eventually one of these animals developed into man. This animal is believed to have become extinct, but is believed to have been represented by the monkey. The basis of argument is certain kind of monkeys have a strong resemblance to man. ii)The Question of Identity—Islamic identity is an upmost possession. It is your faith, religion, moral values, and your whole life. This identity is the one that makes you wake up before sunrise to pray to Allah. This identity makes you kind, sincere, responsible, and thoughtful when you deal with people. It also forbids you to steal, gamble, participate or engage in implicit behavior. This identity makes you realize and understand that Islam is a way of life in other words this identity makes you a good human being. iii)The Question of Meaning/Purpose–Allah states in the Quran, that he created man to be his Khalefah (confident ,attractive handsome, man),and to regulate humans; the Quaran is the constitution revealed by Allah, the name of Islam’s God. Very simple, the purpose for man’s creation is to worship the creator, Quaran 51:56-58.Allah states that he made this life in order to test man so that every person may be recompensed after death for what he has earned. iiii)The Question of Morality-A person becomes a Muslim by believing there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and saying the Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)with sincere conviction. Muslims are believers of the Islam worldview. They believe this present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. They also believe the world was created by man. iiiii)The Question of Destiny-Islam teaches that destiny is written by one’s personal hands, and then handed over to God for judgement. They believe the good and evil are in Allah’s responsibility, but if you accomplish good things in life you attain heaven and if you do bad things you will attain hell; this also means that Allah is the knower and creator of all things, and nothing exist outside of his will and decree according to the Islam worlview. Part II i)The Question of Origin—The Islamic worldview, and the Biblical worldview has no comparison, or similarity in the origin of man. Genesis 2:7, clearly states that God created man from the dust of the earth, blew into the nostrils of man, and man became a living soul. Man was also created in God’s image, Genesis 1:27. This destroys the theory of evolution; man was not developed from an animal, assumably some type monkey. ii)The Question of Identity—According to the Biblical worldview, God gave man dominion over the animals on earth in Genesis 1:26.We, not only were created in God’s image which is a very distinctive quality, but with the authority to rule. There are some similarities with the man in Islam worldview, such as being distinguished in character and morals. Although; God views are different from man’s, there are standards, and character that Christians should live up to, just as the muslims do in the Islamic faith. Christians should not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and be willing to tell others of Jesus and even willing to die for the gospel: the same with muslims, they are bold in their belief, and they are persistant and steadfast in their way of life. iii)The Question of Meaning/Purpose—‘For god so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ’John 3:16.God came to give us life, eternal life with him. As Christians, we are made to worship God. Allah states that he made this life to test man for their recompensation after death. God doesn’t test or tempt us with evil, he gave us his son to help us overcome evil by believing in Jesus. The Islamics must control their own desires to do good or evil; the biblical worldview has Jesus to help us overcome. After death, hell is the payment for a person who chooses to live an evil life, and the similarities are the same in both worldviews. iiii)The Question of Morality—Genesis 1:31 tells us that everything God made was good. Muslims, recite with conviction the shahadah, and the change transpires in their life of belief. A Christian, too, with conviction repents of their sin, confesses Jesus as their lord, and in the belief, one is a new creature iiiii)The Question of Destiny-Destiny is something that Christians, and Islams have in common. One day life will come to an end. According to Allah, nothing is out side his will, and no one is forced to obey Allah, because he has a freewill. There are minor similarities, such as :nothing is done without God’s will, no one is forced to obey God, and we are free moral agents, BUT one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Heroism Beowulf and Sir Garwain

Beowulf and Gawain are both presented as heroic figures in their respective cultures. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrogar, who is the king of Danes. Beowulf explores his heroism in two separate phases- youth and age- and through three separate and increasingly difficult conflicts- with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. His youth heroism as an unfettered warrior and his mature heroism as a reliable king. In his youth, he is a great warrior, predominantly by his feats of strength and courage, which reflected by his fabled swimming match against Breca.His defeat of Grendel and Grendel’s mother validates his reputation for bravery and establishes him fully as a hero. In the combat with Grendel and Grendel’s mother, Beowulf completely shows his fearless and bravery. He makes his battle with Grendel more than a simple slay-the-monster task. By announcing that it will be a hand-to-hand combat, he gains extra glory for himself and the Geatis h king, Hygelac, turning the contest into a feat of strength as well as a fight against evil. He also perfectly embodies the manners and values dictated by the Germanic hero code, including loyalty, courtesy and pride.He shows enough respect and loyalty to king which can be seen from the poem, â€Å"Let whoever can /win glory before death. When a warrior is gone/ that will be his best and only bulwark. †Ã‚  (1387-1389). In the second part of the poem, through a series of retrospectives, I can recover much about how Beowulf comports himself as a king and warrior. Instead of rushing for the throne himself, he does not do what Hrothulf did in Denmark, he supports Hygelac’s son, the right heir, which proving his gesture of loyalty and respect. As Beowulf matures, becomes the king.The poet reflects further on how the responsibilities of king, during the encounter with the dragon, he acts for the good of the people and not just for his own glory differ from those of the hero ic warrior. Even through, Beowulf’s moral status becomes somewhat ambiguous at the poem’s end, he is still deserved as a great hero and leader. Sir Gawain is a humble knight of King Arthur’s court, which can be indicated in the poem, â€Å"I am weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit/ loss of my life would be least lamented† (354-355).His modest claim to inferiority and his high status at court- he is Arthur’s nephew and one of Camelot’s most famous knights- testify to both his humility and his ambition. Loyalty and bravery are also the significant characteristic of Gawain, he is the only knight who steps out to save King Arthur, he takes the challenge from Green Knight, even though the Green knight essentially tricks Gawain by not telling him about his supernatural abilities before asking Gawain to agree to his terms, Gawain refuses to back off the deal.He stands by his commitments absolutely, even when it means jeopardizing his own li fe. Honest is another valuable virtue of Gawain. In the part 3 of the poem, he conceals from host the magical green girdle that the host’s wife gives him, revealing that, he values his own life more than his honest. He confesses his sin to the knight and begs to be pardoned and he voluntarily wears the green girdle as a symbol of sin which is a fully Christian idea. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both very brave characters.There are many similarities between the two, and the differences between the two characters are also like night and day. The most significant similar is that both Beowulf and Sir Gawain are symbols of loyalty in their cultures. They also have their share of significant differences in this, but the theme of loyalty is so strong in both characters that it would be dishonest not to mention the similarities. Beowulf maintains his loyalty to his original leader, King Hygelac, while, at the same time, taking on another oath of loyalty to Hrothgar.Similarly, Gawain ta kes on an additional oath of loyalty when stays with the lord. Sir Gawain also shows his loyalty by challenging the Green Knight in place of King Arthur. One contrasting quality that can also be considered a comparative quality is pride. Sir Gawain appears in the beginning of the story as a humble knight. Later in the story Gawain gains more pride as he strays from his faith. Beowulf, on the other hand, has pride in himself throughout his story.In the story it is described how Beowulf makes boasts, and how in one occurrence, he has a swimming race with another man and has to stay in the water for seven full days, wearing his battle armor and fighting off water monsters. One of the biggest differences between Gawain and Beowulf are their faiths. Gawain is an obvious Christian. He celebrates Christmas and New Years. He also attends mass every morning, or so it seems. Conversely, In Beowulf s story, references to Christianity are made, but none of the characters seem to be tied to this faith.

Management Training and Development Coaching Essay

Management Training and Development Coaching - Essay Example In the same vein, they were supposed to be the image of one serene and calm on the outside, "despite paddling like hell underneath."2 This paper looks into coaching, particularly executive coaching as a management training and development tool, considers its strengths and weaknesses, and presents the organisational context in which it is most appropriate and effective. Real examples of best practice are also provided through four cases. Coaching initially referred to remedial situations where one gets to be coached because of under-performance or unsatisfactory behaviour. Now, coaching usually refers to developing people within an organisation to be able to become effective workers.3 It uses a variety of tools and techniques from a wide range of theoretical backgrounds including organisational theory, occupational psychology and psychometrics, learning and counselling. Depending on the needs of the client, these tools are used in different situations and with different clients. Common tools, models and techniques used in coaching include Kolb's learning cycle, the GROW model, 360 degree feedback, psychometric instruments, goal setting and emotional intelligence models.4 Executive coaching is onl... Executive coaching is a process through which executives are helped to improve their performance and personal effectiveness while reducing stress. It facilitates the identification of inner resources, reveals the need to learn new behaviors to enhance performance, and challenges underlying beliefs and values.7 A leader who develops a coaching mindset and skills is believed capable of unlocking the potential of his or her people, and therefore of creating the next generation of inspirational leaders.8 Participation then in an executive coaching program would offer the rare opportunity for an executive to stand back and to take a fresh look at his experiences and assumptions of a lifetime.9 Carol.Braddick10 would call coaching one of the many practices that can reasonably be linked to high performing companies in terms of raising standards. In fact, executive coaching draws out individual potential by raising self-awareness and understanding, and facilitates learning and performance development that create excellent leaders.11 Executive coaching is now a widespread development tool being used by organisations across the United Kingdom and the United States.12 To John Mason, 13 executive coaching as a professional intervention will save very significant amounts of money because one may not have to remove an under-performing executive, or recruit, and then train a replacement. Its popularity nowadays is based on its strength as a management development tool. First, it gives direct one-to-one assistance and attention that fits into timeframes and schedules of those participating in coaching where they get to see quick results.

Demonstrate the differences and errors of the intelligence analysis Research Paper

Demonstrate the differences and errors of the intelligence analysis product between Pearl Harbor vs. Iraq War based on the cognitive biases and perceptions of the Intelligence analysts - Research Paper Example Because this was the assumption, all of the evidence supporting this assumption was used to fit the prevailing wisdom. In both cases, very powerful psychological biases were at work – confirmation bias, and the closely related phenomenon, tunnel vision and mind-set. Simply put, evidence that supports a bias is used, evidence not supporting it is ignored or discarded. There is ample evidence that this was the case in both Iraq and Pearl Harbor. This paper will explain the different biases, and show how both Pearl Harbor and Iraq fit these biases perfectly. There are a number of reasons why, all of them human, that intelligence analysts may have a hard time properly interpreting data. All of the reasons are focused upon data immersion. (Heuer, 1999, pp. 40-41). When information comes into the intelligence analyst, this information comes in as discrete pieces of data. This data must be put into some kind of meaningful context, so the data must be sorted, selected and organized so that it becomes something that is meaningful to the analyst. However, the data can be sorted and analyzed in a way that would already confirm an inherent bias, or so that it confirms a notion that has already been preconceived. There are great many biases that humans might have, and the intelligence is used to support these biases. The following are some of the biases that might occur. For instance, humans might submit to what is known as a confirmation bias. This means that the facts that are coming in are interpreted in such a way that they confirm existing beliefs. At the same time, the information that is coming in that refutes these existing beliefs is discounted (Ask and Granhag, 2005, p. 45). This may also be known as â€Å"tunnel vision.† In tunnel vision, just like with the confirmation bias, the intelligence analyst focuses upon a theory – that there are weapons of

Keystone XL pipeline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Keystone XL pipeline - Essay Example â€Å"351 major infrastructure projects in the United States are caught up in regulatory or public acceptance hurdles (sometime the former triggered by the latter), including almost every kind of energy infrastructure imaginable from coal mining to transmission lines to solar or wind power generation facilities† (Ladislaw and Pumphrey). Besides, even if the project is rejected, the problem is not over as America still has to deal with a lot of issues. However, if it is accepted, it will give a boost to the American economy. The Perryman Group is a company of economic analysts in the USA who conducted an independent study and found that the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would create an estimated 50000 spin-off and construction jobs which would range for at least a year in Texas alone. In addition to that, the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would create many opportunities of employment indirectly. Above 250000 permanent jobs for Americans would be created by a permanent increase in the supply of oil. The annual expenditures in the USA would be increased by US$100 billion (Minicucci). What further justifies the US reliance upon the oil reserves in Canada is the fact that there are some two trillion barrels of oil in the sands in Canada which is eight times as much oil as is found in the reserves in Saudi Arabia (Minicucci). The Alberta oilsands are a huge source of jobs in Canada. More than 140,000 jobs can be attributed to the Alberta oilsands. Thus, approval of the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline would break the USA free of its economic dependency upon the Middle East to a large extent. Environmentalists have opposed the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline because it would prove a potential risk to a huge aquifer. There is a lot of subjectivity in the estimated risks. The environmentalists are â€Å"hell-bent on stopping the pipeline and, as a result, keeping the nation’s

The Latest Advances in Technology in The Recruitment Process Essay

The Latest Advances in Technology in The Recruitment Process - Essay Example The influence of new technologies such as social networking, Web 2.0 and e-methods are growing day by day in human life. For example, the recent Arab revolutions are believed to be the contributions of social networks. According to modern principles of communication, more ideas are communicated nonverbally than verbally in a face to face communication process. New technologies are providing enough options for face to face communication in the virtual world so that people can interact in virtual world as effectively as in real world. (Network Theory And Analysis, n.d.) Social networks need not introduction even among ordinary people because of the huge popularity of these interactive communication channels among them. Generally speaking, social networks are â€Å"web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections within the system† (Boyd, 2007). On the other hand, Web 2.0 is only at its introductory stage now and therefore it is not necessary that all people are aware of it. Web 2.0 is actually the second generation of WWW. It was introduced in 2004 to provide more facilities to the internet users. In short, Web 2.0 is a web platform intended to provide â€Å"much more dynamic and interconnected surfing experience to online communities. Because most Web 2.0 features are offered as free services, sites like Wikipedia and Facebook have grown at amazingly fast rates† (Web 2.0, 2008). The influence of advanced technologies is growing on business as time goes on. The influence of computers and internet on business needs no explanations now. All the aspect of modern day business in controlled by internet related technologies. For example, recruitment is one area in which advanced technologies started to exert more influence. Social networks and other modern day web based technologies are used ex tensively for the recruitment process now. This paper analyses the impacts of new technologies upon recruitment process, benefits and drawbacks of using new technologies in recruitment process etc. Impacts of new technologies upon recruitment process Hunt (2009) has argued that â€Å"people are on social networks to connect and build relationships†(Hunt, 2009, p.2). On the other hand, Shih (2009) has mentioned that â€Å"online social engagements transform the relationships between the companies and customers from one sided to two sided† (Shih, 2009, p.6). Relationship building is the core of every business activity now and recruitment process is also not an exception. Social networks can be used effectively the recruiters to build meaningful relations with job seekers. â€Å"The IES survey of 50 organisations using e-recruitment reported that the primary drivers behind the decisions to pursue e-recruitment were to: improve corporate image and profile, reduce recruitm ent costs, reduce administrative burden, and employ better tools for the recruitment team† (Kerrin & Kettley, 2003). Extensive use of web based technologies in corporate matters will definitely improve the image of an organization.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Enhancement of Competitive Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and Enhancement of Competitive Advantage of Companies - Essay Example This paper is aimed at providing a detailed study of the fact that Corporate Social responsibility is a business strategy which can be used by business organisations to enhance their competitive advantage in markets for various goods and services. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and its importance: In a study, conducted in 2005, it has been revealed by more than 80 percent of respondents (who were business executives in different organisations) that, business strategies related to Corporate Social Responsibility is extremely essential for their businesses (Blowfield, Blowfield and Murray, 2011, p.10). The phrase Corporate Social Responsibility has been described in modern businesses as one of the most important business practices. With the help of this responsibility multinational corporations are redefining their function in the society and their functional responsibilities to rights of the human beings and the environment. Ethical as well as environmental aspects, al ong with effective business strategies are important components of Corporate Social Responsibility. ... According to few companies the practice of corporate social responsibilities business organisation can acquire greater profits through greater market shares (Forcese, 2008, pp.153-154). It is sometimes argued by business organisations that as long as they are paying taxes to the government and wages to their employees and even maintaining regulations related to health and safety needs they are acting as good corporate citizens. Economists like Milton Friedman (1970) supported this view of doing businesses or running corporate organisations. The problem associated with this business strategy came into effect when economists argued that in this method certain sections of the society (mainly poor people) are getting marginalised. Therefore these economists, including John Gregory Mankiw, have suggested to incorporate the government to provide goods and services to these deprived people and hence to protect these people from corporate strategies. By the end of 1980s this corporate busine ss strategies have been criticised by many economists and environmentalists. A rapid revolution started during this time in regard to greater environmental protection against unethical corporate practices. As a result of these environmental movements Union Carbide had to withdraw its business from Bhopal, India, General Motors to stop ‘selling vehicles with military application to the apartheid government in South Africa’ and many other large businesses, like Nestle, to change their business strategies. In the 2000s these changes started to include oil and gas industry across the globe, making significant changes in applications of business ethics by large number of multinational corporations all over the world. In this time, mainly after 2000, many multinational

Effectiveness of Fall Prevention International Levels Essay

Effectiveness of Fall Prevention International Levels - Essay Example In a year between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people fall in the United States and have to access healthcare and social services through putting a strain on the effective use of resources for research and development in healthcare (Ganz, A., Huang C., Saliba D. et al., 2013). Financing a high number of such falls puts a strain on the health and social services in any country keeping in mind that these costs can be avoided by running effective fall prevention programs. Another social costs as a result of falling that could be alleviated by effective fall prevention are reducing the fear of falling, admittance to nursing facility, or reduced social and physical activity. These factors have health and social costs and effective fall prevention allows for the social planners and managers to have other services available for the people and improving healthcare that could be used up in provision of healthcare facilities and spaces for treating fall patients. The other benefit of effective fall prevention is the achievement of better standards of living by the community members and patients in healthcare facilities (Registered Nurses of Ontario, 2011). Effective fall prevention measures allows for reduced sicknesses from falls, reallocation of funds to other areas including education, better nutrition, housing, investment, among other areas from funds that could have facilitated access to treatments for injuries resulting from falls. The main challenge facing the achievement of effective prevention at the international level is the need for an interdisciplinary approach for care delivery for fall prevention. Fall prevention requires the concerted efforts of all individuals involved in care delivery for a patient. Different multiple disciplines and teams have to come together to provide effective fall prevention since one clinician no matter the extent of his/her talent cannot

Module project part 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Module project part 1 - Assignment Example This is because depending on the type of business that an investor wants to introduce to a particular emerging market, there may be peculiar risks and challenges that must be taken care of to ensure guaranteed success and growth. Apart from the nature of business, the vision that the investor carries is also very important in determining risk because each vision may have its own challenges that it must seek to overcome in order to achieve success. In line with this understanding, this module paper is prepared for the company, which is currently seeking to enter Mexico as an emerging market. As part of ways of benefiting fully from the market, a comprehensive vision statement, description of the target market and risk and their mitigations shall be outlined. Vision Statement The vision statement of the company is to become a company whose success is build on an enablement created for the customer to do business with us by ensuring quality and price competitiveness. Description of Mexi co as an Emerging Market Political Factors Politically, Mexico has been found to possess very low foreign debt, which makes it possible for the government to have a very huge budget reserve that is used in the financing of various businesses, especially foreign direct investment (Rutherford, 2005). Due to this, the government has for long practiced macroeconomic policies that focus on bringing about industry wide economic leverage, instead of organizational level leverage. As part of such macroeconomic policies, investors in Mexico benefit from lower tax rates, easy access to government assisted loans, low inflation, and sufficient state protection for legally registered businesses. These political factors have made most multinational companies whose focus has been on short term expansion to look to Mexico, knowing that the political ground has been laid for business to take place in a more welcoming atmosphere (Morris and Pavett, 2002). Economic Factors Economically, Mexico has bee n given a country rating of A4 by global Edge, which is a company rating firm that seeks to compare countries one to other in terms of viability in doing business in these countries (Davidson and Burke, 2004). A major economic advantage that Mexico has been identified to have is the fact that it has a ready market with the United States, which is responsible for 80% of all exports from Mexico (Schuler, 2006). For business owners who are in the manufacturing sector like the company in question, the benefit is that exportation of finished products will not pose much of a problem for the company. Mexico has however been criticized for having a weaker exchange rate, that makes importation expensive in that country. Acquisition of raw material has therefore being a problem for most manufacturers (Hall, 2006). Social Factors Socially, Mexico’s population has been described as commercially informed (Rutherford, 2005). What this means is that the population understands the basic rudi ments in conducting business and get themselves actively involved in the business market. The major factor that accounts for this is the high literacy level in the country with the aim of the government in achieving 100% enrolment with a universal compulsory education scheme. Because most of the people are

Characteristics seen in Hamlet throughout the play Essay Example for Free

Characteristics seen in Hamlet throughout the play Essay I have been studying the text of Hamlet and the following characteristics are what he shows throughout the play. We see that Hamlet can be Nationalist. He is being nationalist when he is criticising Denmark and says it is a drinking country which is saying he does not trust them much. He is also like this when he says that Norway is robbing the land from Denmark, so this is then proving that Claudius is weak and so they might as well lose all their land. Hamlet is being very nationalist, when he says that Denmark is like a prison. This means that he feels as if he has no freedom to do what you want to do. Hamlet can be loving towards his friends and family easily, except to his uncle. He can be loving in a friendly way towards Horatio. He shows love towards his mother all throughout the play. He is being loving because he does not want his mother to flirt and have sex with his uncle so close after his fathers death. Hamlet says he is disgraced and when he confronts his mother in her bedroom, he asks her questions about his uncle. He then sees movements behind the curtains and thinks that it is his uncle who is too scared to face him, and so he draws his sword and stabs the person behind the curtain only to find out that it was Ophelias father (Polonius). He then plays around with his uncle and he acts as if he is mad and he will not tell him where the body is. I think Hamlet killed the person behind the curtain because he thought it was time to get revenge for his father, by killing his uncle. So this was the right thing to do, but only if he definitely knew who was behind the curtain in his mothers bedroom. He is seriously in love with Ophelia, and both she and Hamlet admit their love for each other. Hamlet expresses his love for Ophelia on page 187 Act 5 Scene 1: Forty thousand brothers Could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum. Earlier on in the play, Hamlet shows his love for Ophelia his girlfriend. The second time he expresses his love for her was at her funeral. This was in front of everyone and then a fight ensued between Hamlet and Laertes. Ophelia shows her love for Hamlet on page 84(Act 1 Scene 3). She also tells everyone that Hamlet has said he loves her. Hamlet is very religious and he goes to a Protestant school in Wittenberg, but on the other hand he is a Catholic because when he is going to kill his uncle in a religious place he realises he will go to heaven. This was on page 144. Act 3 Scene 3: Now might I do it pat, now a is a-praying I, his sole son, do this same villain send To Heaven We see that when Hamlet finds the ghost he is very shocked by it and yet he still does what it says. He tells his friends that it is real and to believe in it, which also proves he is religious. Throughout the play, he uses two different religions, which are found to be; Protestant and Catholic. Hamlet can be very sarcastic and intelligent in the play especially when Polonius asks him what he is reading, and he replies with Words! This then leads Polonius to start quizzing Hamlet on ting about him and Ophelia. Therefore, the answers that Hamlet gives Polonius he then goes and tells them to King. Due to the answers, that Hamlet has given leads to Polonius to say it proves that Hamlet is mad. So the King and Polonius set up a trap for Hamlet to fall into by getting Ophelia to ask Hamlet questions, but Hamlet plays smart and so he gives weird answers which leads people to think he is mad and then he uses it against his uncle at the end of the play. Hamlet is also intelligent when he is being sent to England by boat because he reads the Kings notes on what they have to do to him and then he changes the notes to what he wants them to say, so this is Hamlet playing smart. He then seals the envelopes, by using his ring to put an indent into the wax on the page so it looks as if it was from the King. The page where he finds out about the letter was; Page 153 Act 3 scene 4: Theres letters sealed Let it work. At this time, he was talking to his mother. Hamlet is also intelligent when he gets the actors to act out the death of his father. By doing this he can find out if his uncle is guilty or innocent. By doing this and constantly taking to the King, he is using his educated mind to find out the truth. Therefore, throughout this play we see that Hamlet can use a lot of emotions and characteristics. When Hamlet uses them, they are used with power and forcefully to make an effect on who ever he is talking to. He makes an impact most of the time except from when everyone thinks he is mad they just think that he is talking rubbish. His intelligence brings out the best in him especially when he gets the play put on for his uncle. So in my opinion Hamlet is smart and very intelligent.

Types or Remedies Essay Example for Free

Types or Remedies Essay Compensatory A money award equivalent to the actual value of injuries or damages sustained by the aggrieved party. When a contract has been breached, the court orders the party that breached to pay the amount of direct losses done to innocent party. Consequential Special damges that compensate for a loss that is not direct or immediate (for example, lost profits0. The special damages must have been reasonably foreseeable at the time the breach or injury occurred in order for the plaintiff to collect them. The party that breached the contract must reimburse the innocent party for the indirect losses even if they were foreseeable damages. Punitive Money damages that may be awarded to aplaintiff to punish the defendant and deter future similar conduct. A monetary award the court orders on the guilty party to punish them for a breach of contract. Nominal A small monetary award (often one dollar) granted to a plaintiff when no actual damage was suffered or when the plaintiff is unable to tshow such loss with sufficient certainty. When the plaintiff cannot prove damages or no damages were done, the court may provide a small amount of money, â€Å"often one dollar†. Liquidated An amount, stipulated in the contract, that the parties to a contract believe to be a reasonable estimation of the damages that will occur in the event of a beach. For the court to order this remedy, the contract must be in writing. Liquidation takes place of compensatory and consequential remedies. In the contract, it must say â€Å"if contract is breached† breaching party must pay this much to the other party. Rescission A remedy whereby a contract is canceled and the parties are returned to the positions they occupied before the contract was made; may be effected through the mutual consent of the parties, by their conduct, or by court decree. This remedy requires both parties to â€Å"undue† the contract and put each party into the pre-contract position. Restitution An equitable remedy under which a person is restored to his or her original postion prior to loss or injury, or placed in the position he or she would have been in had the breach not occurred. Very similar to a rescission, but both parties must return each other into previous states but instead of canceling out the contract and returning each other into pre-contract state, they would be returned to pre-breached state. Specific performance An equitable remedy requing the breaching oarty to perform as promised under the contract; usally granted only when money damages would be an inadequate remedy and the subject matter of the contract is unique (for example, real property) The court orders breaching party to complete the specific action that was promised in the contract. Reformation A court ordered correction of a written contract so that it reflects the true intentions of the parties. Quantum meruit Literally, â€Å"as much as he deserves’-an expression describing the extent of liability on a contract implied in law. An equitable doctrine based on the concept that one who benefits from another’s labor and materials should not be unjustly enriched thereby but should required to pay a reasonable amount for the benefits reecived , even abesnt of a contract.

How Money is Created

How Money is Created Essay Where Money Comes from Student: Gulnaz Miniakhmetova Introduction â€Å"The process by which banks create money  is so simple that the mind is repelled† John Kenneth Galbraith, Economist. There are many social institutions in our world but one of them seems to be the most difficult to understand – monetary institution. Why do we have it and how it works? Being small children, we already understand that to get a toy parents need money. Stuff costs money. Money is a tool, and not necessarily one which facilitates access to the resources necessary for survival, as they are given freely on the earth[1]. If we look back at the history of the great Depression, we will see that people can’t live without money. During the Great Depression, money stopped circulating yet the sun still shone, the plants were growing but people starved. Food was available because nature does not depend on our monetary problems. It continues to exist as many times ago. Why then people lose access to food without money? It sounds incredible but how our society allow money to function as a barrier to nature resources. Nature does not take money for her great work[2]. Few people are interested in the way money are created and in who controls the system. Complicated economic terminology and calculations keep most of the people away from understanding the system but one attentive look at it helps to see how simple the scheme actually is. This paper is going to investigate where money come from and what makes the ink on the paper be so valued, if it is really valuable? Ancient Money. Modern Money. It is interesting to trace the evolution of money across years and check if â€Å"money-of-today† has the same value as â€Å"money-of-yesterday†. It is fascinating that long ago money appeared in different corners of the world in a nearly similar way. We observe various currencies in those times. American Indians used Wampum; West Africans were trading in decorative metallic objects called Manillas; Fijians used whale’s teeth. Shells, amber, ivory, decorative feathers, a large number of stones – were all used for trade across the world. We cannot but agree that these funny forms of money are sensible things for trading. Later gold and silver were the most favorite currencies. The appearance of coins in our life was a significant step for economy, which still exists. The first coins appeared about 600 B.C. in a place where Lydians lived, ancient Greece territory where now modern Turkey is located. It had a form of lion’s head and were made of electrum. If we compare other ancient types of money, coins were the first to become a firm currency. Coins spread throughout the Mediterranean very fast. By the 6th century Athens, Aegina, Corinth and Persia, all had their own coins. Coins helped to expand trading easier. Soon coins were made out of gold and silver thus reflecting the actual value of the metal. Modern currency, unfortunately, lost this value. Money evolved from barter but barter had two limitations: 1) the traders must have products of equal value and; 2) as society grows, traders must be ready to make the trade at the same time, as the trust of the small group no longer exists. What if the person who has what you need might not need what you want to trade? What about large transactions? In this case, money appeared to be a convenient value for everyone and perfectly dealt with barter limitations. Even gold and silver are bulky for large transactions. The need for lighter equivalent generated paper money. Modern money system comes from the Middle Ages from the goldsmith trading. People started storing their gold and silver to the goldsmith who was supposed to keep it safe. The owner of the gold got a receipt for what had been left at goldsmiths. This way a paper started to circulate in the society being much easier to carry than gold and silver. Precious metal was replaced by paper. After a while, the enterprising goldsmith figured out that only few of his depositors come to demand their gold. Therefore, he decided to loan out the gold for other customers or just issue a receipt instead of actually giving the gold. Finally, clever goldsmiths found out that they could print and give printed loans even more that they had it in gold. In the idea of loaning the value of gold they did not own, but only held in trust, and the value of gold that did not even exist, was the germ of the invention of modern money[3]. The goldsmiths or bankers were doing a clever thing. They received interest by loaning the gold that they were paid to hold in trust for others. They received interest from loans on gold that did not even exist. This system has a name of â€Å"Fractional Reserve Banking† which means lending much more money than you have assets on deposit. This simple scheme follows human beings up to the present moment. Modern banks are allowed to loan out ten times the amount they are actually having. If you are charged 11% interest rate, be sure it is not 11% a year they make on that amount but actually 110%[4]. One thing that differs modern monetary system is that money can no longer be redeemed for gold. If earlier, we could find a phrase â€Å"in silver payable† on the American dollar banknote, today there is only â€Å"Federal Reserve note†. It means that money used to represent value by gold and silver and could be redeemed by gold or silver. The gold standard lasted until 1971. President Nixon announced that the United States would no longer exchange dollars for gold. It happened because the volume of gold reserve came to a dangerous point. For example, at the end of the World War II France insisted on changing their American dollars to gold. America was in a critical situation. Henry Hazlitt forecasted the dollar devaluation at the beginning of 1971. He said that America would have to increase the cost of one ounce of gold (previously it was 35 dollars per ounce). The decision of the present was unexpected. No devaluation followed. Nixon just stopped â€Å"gold standard†, which actually can be accounted as a financial bankruptcy. Since that date, the world trade is conducted with the help of dollars, which are nothing more that paper. All the rest world currencies related to the gold through dollar, became â€Å"gold-free† too. Earlier â€Å"gold standard† prevented countries from printing too much money, as the supply of gold does not change quickly. The supply of money was stable. If there is too much money, people start to exchange it for gold. Finally, treasury may run out of gold. Quitting the â€Å"gold standard† modern America can buy nearly whatever they want with a currency having no inner value. Now dollar can be redeemed only to another paper or digital dollar. In fact, â€Å"old† monetary system backed up by gold and silver was â€Å"debt free† while modern one is â€Å"debt based†. How? The proof of the money’s debt nature will be discussed in the next chapter of the paper. How Monetary System Functions Today As a basis for discussing the modern monetary system, I would like to take the views and explanations of the Zeitgeist Movement since I find it clear and laconic for perception. However, there are many other followers of the idea â€Å"money is debt†. If we ask an ordinary person on the street, â€Å"How money is created?† The most probable answer will be â€Å"By governments and banks†. Governments only borrow money from the banks. Alternatively, one can say, the bank takes money from savers, and then lends it out to the borrower. That is not true. Banks do not need a customer deposit for giving a new loan. It is viÑ e versa. Loans create new deposits. Let us illustrate how the system works. Government of the USA decides that it needs money. It requests the Federal Reserve (The Fed) for $10 billion. The Fed agrees to buy $10 billion government bonds. The government takes a paper and draws Treasury bond where it shows the value of the bonds $10 billion and sends them to the Fed. In its turn, the Fed draws their papers, which are called â€Å"federal reserve notes†. Their price is $10 billion. Then the Fed trades these notes for bonds. As soon as government gets the notes from the Fed, it puts it into bank account. Only on this account money become real money adding $10 billion to the USA. In reality, the process is done without any paper, i.e. electronically. Necessary to note that only 3% of physical currency exist in the USA. The other 97% is digital nowadays. Now we see that money which appeared in such a simple way are equal to debt. The Federal Reserve purchases government bonds with the money created out of thin air. The government promises to pay back that money to the Fed. In other words, money were created out of debt. The most interesting thing is that ten billion dollar deposit becomes a part of the banks’ reserves. As stated in the â€Å"Modern Money Mechanics† – â€Å"Under current regulations, the reserve requirement against most transaction accounts is ten percent. It means that with a $10 billion deposit, 10%, or one billion is held as a required reserve (10%*$10,000,000,000.00=$1, 000,000,000.00). While the other $9 billion is considered an excessive reserve, and can be used as the basis for new loans. Therefore, we assume that this $9 billion comes out of existing $10 billion deposit but that is not true. The Zeitgeist states, what is really happening is that $9 billion is created on top the existing $10 billion deposit. Totally, bank has $19 billion. This is how money supply works. Banks do not really pay out loans for money, which they receive as deposits. It is important for banks to receive loan contracts in exchange for money. $9 billion is created out of nothing just because there is a demand for such a loan and there is $10 billion deposit to satisfy the reserve requirements. Let us assume that someone borrows that available $9 billion from the bank and most likely, he puts this money to his bank account. Therefore, this deposit becomes banks reserve. Ten percent is isolated and we get 10%*$9,000,000,000.00 = $900,000,000.00 and $9,000,000,000.00 $900,000,000.00 = $8,100,000,000.00[5]. This $8,1billion is now available as newly created money for more loans. This process of money creation is endless and it is based on debt. Money is debt. Debt is money. If money is created so easily, why is it so valuable? It is simple. There is always demand for money because people want it. A person needs money because he knows that other person needs money as well, so money can be used to others to get goods and services in return. In its turn, those others can also use the money they got to satisfy thir needs. Goods and services function as engines in the economy, and money helps people to exchange goods and services. It seems the process of modern money creation will go on forever. Money is Debt We are afraid of the word â€Å"debt† but it often helps people to raise their living standards. Debt is risky and has future obligations, but can also provide a means of generating future income. Everyone knows how disastrous debt can be for a person or a business. In history there are examples when â€Å"growth and prosperity have flourished at times when overall indebtedness was rising rapidly, and some economic slowdowns have coincided with periods of debt reduction†[6]. Thus, it is a paradox that debt can be both good and bad. Looking back at the history, we may find out that once the national debt was fully paid off. It happened in America in 1835. The president Andrew Jackson shut the Central Bank, establishing Federal Reserve instead. Jackson called the debt a national curse. He vowed to pay the national debt, to prevent a monied aristocracy from growing up around our administration that must bend to its views, and ultimately destroy the liberty of our country[7]. However, the period of â€Å"zero debt† did not last long. International bankers established another Central Bank. While there is such an institution, the debt is there too. Many economists admit the Debt nature of money. For example, governor of the federal Reserve, Marriner Eccies once said â€Å"If there is no debts in our money system, there wouldn’t be any money†. Or, â€Å"the dollar is based on credit and every dollar in existence represents a dollar of debt owed by an individual, a business firm, or a government unit.†[8] Apart from the fact of money creation on the debt principle, there is one more important trick about banks. That is interest. When a person gets a money from the bank, he has to pay them back with the interest. A question arises here: if we borrow money from the banks through loans, where do money for paying off interest come from? The answer is – from nowhere. The fact is that the money people or companies owe to the bank will always exceed the amount of money that is available in circulation. That is why inflation takes place. New money is needed to cover the deficit caused by the need to pay the interest. Inflation is built into the system as well as defaults and bankruptcy. Nowadays more and more people join the endless debt system by taking home mortgages, personal loans, and credit cards. Some kinds of debt are long-term. For example, home mortgage may spread for more years than a person has active working years. If you are unable to pay the loan, the bank takes your property. It is frustrating, when you understand that the banking system and the fact that those money on the day of singing the contract did not even exist. There is one interesting court case which took place in America, Minnesota and which proved the corrupt nature of the banks. The case took place in 1969 between First National Bank of Montgomery and a citizen Jerome Daly. Daly took a mortgage from the bank. Daly was demanding the foreclosure of his home by the bank. The bank provided the loan to purchase the house. His argument was based on the fact that mortgage contract stands for equal participation of both parties. Each party put a legitimate form of property for the exchange. Daly was trying to prove that the money was not the property of the bank since money was created out of thin air on the day of signing the agreement. If we look up at the â€Å"Modern Money Mechanics† booklet, we will find out the following about loans â€Å"what they do when they make loans is to accept promissory notes in exchange for credits†¦Reserves are unchanged by the loan transactions. But deposit credits constitute new additions to the total deposits of the banking system.†[9] It means that money does not come from already existing assets. In a cunning way the bank simply invents money and there is nothing like a property on the bank’s side, except for a liability text on paper. Mr. Daly won the case, as the bank’s president admitted the fact of unexciting money and he noted that this was a standard banking practice. Here is the speech of Mr. Morgan, the bank’s president â€Å"Plaintiff admitted that it, in combination with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, did create the entire $14,000.00 in money and credit upon its own books by bookkeeping entry. That this was the consideration used to support the Note dated May 8, 1964 and the Mortgage of the same date. The money and credit first came into existence when they created it. Mr. Morgan admitted that no United States Law or Statute existed which gave him the right to do this. A lawful consideration must exist and be tendered to support the Note†[10]. As a result, the court rejected the bank’s claim for foreclosure and Daly lived happily in his home. This case once again proves the corrupt nature of modern monetary system. One feels miserable when realizing that any time he borrows money, the money appears to be not only a counterfeit, it is even an illegitimate form of agreement. The bank never has the money as property in contrast to golden standard period. If there was a successful case with Mr. Daly, why do banks continue mocking at people? Well, we proved that money is debt. What are your actions when you are in debt? You go to work in order to pay the debt off. But, if money is created only out of loans, it means that society cannot be debt free. People are slaves of banks running on the hamster wheel. Only those at the top benefit from the system. There will always be the rich and the poor with our present system. It is an incredible system ever created for social manipulation. â€Å"Debt is the weapon used to conquer and enslave societies and Interest is its prime ammunition†[11]. Banks are making private profit out of what should be public revenue. Rich countries developed the international money system which serves their interests at the expense of the poor countries. Conclusion Earlier monetary system was more honest in its nature compared to present times. â€Å"Modern Money Mechanics† answering the question â€Å"what makes money valuable?† say that a dollar bill is just a piece of paper. Coins do have some value as a metal, but less than their face value. The value is explained just by the fact that people believe in money’s power to be able to be exchanged for goods and services whenever there is a need. Money is actually created of debt and it is not money that make debt possible. Money and debt appear at exactly the same moment. Money is a blood of society and it goes and will go on circulating to provide life. Bibliography A Primer on Money, U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Banking and Currency, Subcommittee on Domestic Finance, 88th Congress, 2nd Session, Government Printing Office, 1964, page 23 Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Two Faces of Debt, http://freedom-school.com/two_faces_of_debt.pdf , (17.03.2014) Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Modern Money Mechanics, http://www.dollarnoncents.com/MMM.pdf, (18.03.2014) David Graeber: Debt. The First 5,000 Years, https://libcom.org/files/__Debt__The_First_5_000_Years.pdf , (17.03.2014) John Steele Gordon (February 18, 2019): A Short History of the National Debt, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB123491373049303821 , (17.03.2014) Mongomery vs Daly, http://criminalbankingmonopoly.wordpress.com/montgomery-vs-daly/, (18.03.2014) Money Owned and Owed, http://www.thetwofacesofmoney.com/files/money.pdf , (19.03.2014) Paul Krumm: How Money is Created, Disappears, and Works, and the Values Involved in the Process,  http://www.vantagequest.org/trees/money.htm#.UycKMah5PtU , (15.03.2014) The Fractional Reserve Banking System / Zeitgeist Addendum (March 27, 2009), http://truth11.com/2009/03/27/the-fractional-reserve-banking-system-zeitgeist-addendum/ , (16.03.2014) The Monetary System, http://www.zeitgeistaustralia.org/the-monetary-system/, (15.03.2014) XAT3. The History of Money: http://www.xat.org/xat/moneyhistory.html , (17.03.2014) 1 [1] The Monetary System, http://www.zeitgeistaustralia.org/the-monetary-system/, (15.03.2014) [2] The Monetary System, http://www.zeitgeistaustralia.org/the-monetary-system/, (15.03.2014) [3] Paul Krumm: How Money is Created, Disappears, and Works, and the Values Involved in the Process, http://www.vantagequest.org/trees/money.htm#.UycKMah5PtU , (15.03.2014) [4] XAT3. The History of Money: http://www.xat.org/xat/moneyhistory.html , (17.03.2014) [5] The Fractional Reserve Banking System / Zeitgeist Addendum (March 27, 2009), http://truth11.com/2009/03/27/the-fractional-reserve-banking-system-zeitgeist-addendum/ , (16.03.2014) [6] Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Two Faces of Debt, http://freedom-school.com/two_faces_of_debt.pdf , (17.03.2014) [7] John Steele Gordon (February 18, 2019): A Short History of the National Debt, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB123491373049303821 , (17.03.2014) [8] From A Primer on Money, U.S. Congress, House, Committee on Banking and Currency, Subcommittee on Domestic Finance, 88th Congress, 2nd Session, Government Printing Office, 1964, page 23 [9] Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Modern Money Mechanics, http://www.dollarnoncents.com/MMM.pdf, (18.03.2014) [10] Mongomery vs Daly, http://criminalbankingmonopoly.wordpress.com/montgomery-vs-daly/, (18.03.2014) [11] The Fractional Reserve Banking System / Zeitgeist Addendum (March 27, 2009), http://truth11.com/2009/03/27/the-fractional-reserve-banking-system-zeitgeist-addendum/ , (16.03.2014)

Grapes Of Wrath :: essays research papers

Released from an Oklahoma state prison after serving four years of a manslaughter conviction, Tom Joad makes his way back to his family’s farm amid the desolation of the Dust Bowl. He meets Jim Casy, a former preacher who gave up his calling out of a belief that all life is holy, and that simply being among the people as an equal is a sacred endeavor. Jim accompanies Tom to his home; when they find it deserted, fronted by withered crops, they travel to Tom’s Uncle John’s house, where they find the Joads preparing for a long trip to California in search of work. Large California landowners have poster announcement for employment throughout western Oklahoma, and Ma and Pa Joad have decided to move their family their; evicted from their farm by the bank that owned it, they feel as though they have no choice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The journey to California in a rickety used truck is long and arduous, and results in the deaths of both Tom’s grandparents. Traveling along Highway 66, which is clogged with cars making the same trip to California for the same reasons, the Joads meet the Wilsons, a couple plagued with car trouble whom Ma Joad invites to travel with the family. Sairy Wilson is sick with cancer, and, near the California border, is unable to continue on the journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the Joads near California, they hear ominous rumors of overcrowded camps and an overflowing labor market; one migrant tells Pa Joad that twenty thousand people show up for every eight hundred jobs, and that his own children starved to death in California. But the Joads press on, and eventually reach their destination. They move from camp to camp to squalid camp, looking in vain for work, struggling to find food, and struggling to hold the family together. Tom’s younger sister Rose of Sharon is pregnant and fearful that her child will be born deformed or even dead; eventually, her husband Connie abandons the family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The environment in California is hostile in the extreme: the camps are overcrowded and full of starving migrants, the locals are fearful and angry at the flood of newcomers, whom they derisively label â€Å"Oakies,† prices are skyrocketing and work is almost impossible to find; when there is work, it never pays enough to keep food on the table. The large landowners do everything in their power to keep the migrants as poor and dependent as they can.

Comparing First Dates in Sottos Oranges and Wetherells The Bass, the

First Dates in Sotto's Oranges and Wetherell's The Bass, the River, and Shelia Mant Everyone is born with innocence and they gradually gain experience through lessons learned in life; some people may gain more that others. Not all lessons in life are dramatic or negative, some may be subtle, positive, or even life altering; however, no matter how small or big, they do alter one's perspective on things and help them to gain experience, which will be with them forever. These experiences may be gained through love, war, or death, but in some way or another they have changed one's point of view. The works "Oranges", written by Gary Sotto, and "The Bass, the River, and Shelia Mant", written by W.D. Wetherell, both tell about a boys first love and his first date. First loves and first dates is something that can be related to by everyone, whether boy or girl. These two works show that the outcome of a first date may not be what one expected, but in the end something more may be learned. In "The Bass, the River, and Shelia Mant", the speaker fell in love with a beautiful girl named Shelia Mant, which was the only thing that he loved more than fishing. He watched her everyday sunbathing on the dock. He watched her so much that he learned what mood she was in by the position she was laying. When the summer was almost over he got up enough nerve to ask her out. To his surprise she said yes. They went to see a band, however, since he was only fourteen they took a canoe. While rowing the canoe he had his fishing pole on the back, because he never left the house without it. Little did he know that Shelia thought fishing was dumb. So, during the entire canoe ride he is trying to hide the fishing pole, which is hanging o... ...h the speaker from "The Bass, the River, and Shelia Mant" did not have a great first date or love, he learned to be himself, not to change who he was so someone will like him. Although both speakers lost their innocence and gained experience in love and dating, they still have a lot more to learn in both. Innocence may be loss in a subtle or life altering way, negative or positive, but when all is said and done the experience gained will help one to succeed in life. Works Cited Lessing, Doris. "Through the Tunnel." Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Fourth Edition. Ed. Judith A Stanford. Boston: McGrawHill, 2003. 860-867. Wetherell, W.D. "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant." Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays. Fourth Edition. Ed. Judith A. Stanford. Boston: McGrawHill, 2003. 191-196.

Porsche 911 Road Cars :: essays research papers

PORSCHE 911 ROAD CARS Porsche 911 Road Cars is about model 911 cars and the history of them. The book explains who invented Porsche, how they modeled them, how the price changed over the years, how they designed the engines, and all about the speeds and racing ability. The two most interesting things I have learned about in this book concern Porsche’s characteristics; for example, how the engine for the 901 Porsche was designed and where it was placed in the car. The engine instead of being placed in the front end like most cars is placed in the back end of the car to make it a rear drive instead of a front-end drive vehicle. It was designed this way for better speed performance. The other thing I thought was interesting was the modeling. When Butzi Porsche modeled Porsche, not only did he want speed, he wanted to have something original, fast looking, and small so he and an artist got together and found a great design. Butzi would tell the artist what he wanted the car to look like and the artist would create a model drawing. It took them seven months to get the right design and the car sold great! I would recommend this book to someone who is really interested in Porsche cars and how they run. This book tells you everything from the evolution of the first 911 in 1960 to one they hope to build for the next millenium. You can learn every characteristic about the engine and sometimes why. For example, if you wanted to know about the new 911’s motor, you could go to the chapter about that particular car and get the information you needed. If you wanted to know about modeling you could research it the same way. You are also able to get some general information about other Porsche cars listed in the back of the book. If the author could change two things about this book, he should include information and comparisons on all Porsche cars, not just 911 Porsches. It isn’t that interesting reading a whole book on one type of car, unless you are a collector or owner. The author should also have put in more information about Butzi Porsche. He is the grandson of the company’s founder and the one who designed the 901 Porsche.

Word of Mouth Marketing in the Time of the Internet

At the threshold of the onslaught and brutal display of power of the internet-based word of mouth, there are many important things to discuss standing from different perspectives. The most important of which is from the standpoint of an advertising/marketing strategist, which is constantly manipulating the mechanisms of social behavior (including the word of mouth phenomenon then and now) in the name of successful market control. Word of mouth (WOM) and marketing go hand in hand in the past, largely because of the impact of interpersonal relationship and communication in consumerism. Companies overwhelmingly believe in the ability of consumers to influence one another’s purchasing decisions (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † Today, another player comes into the picture – the internet. If traditional marketing and advertising has managed to weave its way around traditional word of mouth communication enough to successfully manipulate it, the same cannot be said about how advertising and marketing entities are dealing with internet-based sources of word of mouth communication. The internet has shown that it is a powerful tool for word of mouth communication and the power grows vis-a-vis the growth of users, who are also the consumers. â€Å"The large number of users gives Internet WOM significant potential power for marketers. Anecdotal evidence of the power of the Internet WOM abounds (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † Despite the problems that go with the rise of internet-based word of mouth communication and marketing, there are still positive things to hope for. The opportunity here is for companies to find their brand ambassadors (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64),† while for others, the task is to simply be able to work well with this new social trend empowered by new technology that many is enjoying at the moment. Nonetheless, this is a very important topic to discuss, break down and analyze. This paper will discuss how different internet-based sources of word of mouth marketing including web sites, blogs and other similar mediums affect th e decision-making process and the buying habits of modern day consumers. This paper will be discussing the special and important relationship of three factors – the internet, consumers and the word of mouth communication – because how these factors affect each other is an important aspect that shapes how consumerism takes place today. Since the day that humans were able to understand and execute the system of selling items or services for a profit, the consumer segment of the society has already been created; and today, everyone is a consumer. With the creation of the consumer section and the start of the flow of local economics via sustainability through the sale of items or services that other people are willing to pay for is the creation of word of mouth communication. What is word of mouth communication, or WOM? There are several yet similar explanations about word of mouth communication made by experts. Here is one: â€Å"Word-of-mouth communication† is used â€Å"to exchange post-purchase experience among the costumers (Takahashi, Sallach, Juliette, 2007, p. 09). † Providing that this explanation is correct, the very first word of mouth communication is the very first time the very first consumer who bought something from another person told another individual what he or she thinks of the recent item he/she purchased. This trend has not changed since. All over the world, part of the culture of consumers is to let other people know how they feel about the product they purchased. Usually, neighbors who have pleasant relationship with each other include in their casual conversations appraisal and assessment of the things or services that they recently bought or paid for. It could be about anything and everything – food, clothing, equipment, accessories, home appliances, medicine etc. Word of mouth communication happens everywhere: as neighbors and friends talk to each other during social gatherings or everytime they pass by each other in malls, grocery stores, at work or when they bump into each other in leisure locations like in beach, gym, arcade etc. Word of mouth communication is a product largely a personal face-to-face conversation, although sometimes telephone conversations, even mails also become sources of word of mouth communication. This happens when friends or relatives suggest or advise for or against a particular item or brand, or if they simply express how satisfied or dissatisfied they were in a particular brand or item even without the conscious effort to affect the personal belief of the listener in the item or brand in question. Word of mouth is everywhere, it was an everyday experience which, at one point, was believed to be strong enough that it can affect consumer attitude. At the onset of media advertising in radio, television and print, commercials took to mimicking word of mouth phenomenon to reflect real life and make it appear that in real life, people are really talking positively about the brand featured in the commercial so that the consumers are influenced towards imbibing the same mindset about the product. Word of mouth style in advertising in media is one of the important types of advertising approach because it was successful and effective. When people see individuals in a commercial enjoying a bottle of a popular soda and talking about it and recommending it to other people, they feel that the people in the commercial are directly talking to them; and for most part consumers who are exposed to television are influenced into trying the product because the commercial made them feel/think that the product was great and it was worth trying. At this point, there was already a genuine word of mouth communication happening between individuals, as well as artificial word of mouth communication, which happen when commercials try to influence and manipulate the thinking, mindset and attitude of the consumers through the help of commercials. Word of mouth, at this time, was still powerful but it was not an unstable power that cannot be controlled. For one, word of mouth communication moves around a particular network and does not extend any further that it cannot immediately create a nationwide attitude for or against a product or brand. Secondly, advertising agencies and marketing professionals managed to control consumer attitude and buying preference largely because of the ability of commercials and marketing efforts to convince people to patronize a particular brand. And then, there was the Internet. The internet was not created primarily to alter the previous status quo in the consumer world. The idea behind the internet is to provide an information highway for everyone to use. But the inherent characteristics of the internet made it an important aspect in how word of mouth, marketing and consumerism would change. The internet gave word of mouth communication renewed power by giving the consumers power communicate with each other and let other consumers know how individuals feel about particular products being sold to the people. The society was introduced to a new set of culture that included blogs and websites, emails and chats, forums and websites which all provided new platforms where information can be made available, information which included the personal thoughts of other consumers about products. It turns out that other consumers are very much interested in finding out what other people think, especially about products that other people are thinking of buying. Because of this, consumers knowingly or unknowingly focused more attention online, looking for the opinion of individuals about different products and letting real life experience and not padded advertisement act as the source of information about products. This information is used to assist the individual in the formation of the individual’s buying attitude and consumer behavior upon a particular product. Some of the examples include the browsing of Internet users in sites that feature blogs on consumer appraisal on products, found in websites like www. oxygen. com and its message board; www. leftgear. com and its style chat; and other websites like www. consumerreviews. com and www. epinions. com. The entry of the internet complicated the relationship of consumer world with world of mouth communication, and most of the problematic aspect of this social change targeted the companies which are finding different ways and means to be able to regain control of this new source of word of mouth communication. I. The Consumer and word of mouth The consumer and word of mouth has been together and closely related to each other for a long period of time. â€Å"Verbal consumer-to-consumer communication, often referred to as simply ‘word of mouth’ (WOM) has long been recognized as an important factor in consumer behavior (Schindler, Barbara, 2005, p. 35). † Word of mouth and consumers are symbiotic and intertwined, each other directly affecting the other. Without consumers, word of mouth communication, at worst will lose its essence and its ethos, especially if the information disseminated are merely results of company-led propaganda. Without word of mouth communication, consumers will have to rely on how much information they have for them to be able to make the best, educated decision when buying products or services and selecting which brand to pick from the shelf. â€Å"The word-of-mouth communication between the consumers is crucial (Takahashi, Sallach, Juliette, 2007, p. 109). † Getting the opinion of other people first before making a decision is one of the innate characteristics of many individuals, and their particular attitude in buying is no different. For some people, they want to know first how other people ahead of him or her in buying the product feels about the item, and then uses this information to assess whether or not he or she will pursue purchasing the product, opt for other brand of the same product or shelf the idea of purchasing one all in all. â€Å"Innovators first seek information from other people in the purchase of an innovation and such behavior is similar across various new product categories (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 73). † This particular attitude of consumers is the main vein that connects consumers to word of mouth communication. For most experts, they believe that there are many enough individuals who follow this pattern of behavior in buying that it is important for companies to know how word of mouth communication. The consumers react and interact with each other so that the companies can make adjustments that enable them to use the presence of word of mouth communication to their advantage. If marketers were to realize the intended results of their efforts, they would benefit from understanding the manner in which consumers process WOMC (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). † This is crucial for consumers because information sharing and dissemination is accomplished through this. But there is more to that. This is also crucial for companies relying on positive word of mouth from consumers to improve how the public perceive the product they are selling, or simply, marketing. The best marketing that ever was, or ever will be is word of mouth. There is no dollar value you can assign to having someone else talk positively about you, your company, and your services (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † This realization comes from the consideration that companies also has to rely on wor d of mouth communication because in several instances, the public/consumer is not interested or affected anymore by commercials and are instead more interested in word of mouth communication. Internet-Based Word of Mouth Seen by Consumers as a Fresh Alternative versus Product/Service Commercials There are many reasons why people find the internet-based word of mouth tools like blogs and forums more reliable, dependable and useful for information gathering. One of the possible reasons is that individuals are already tired, fed up or already calloused by the traditional commercials that they are not as affected anymore as in the past in being exposed to product commercials in television and print media. The feeling of being detached and impersonal by these commercials only improves its quality as something that is feigned and artificial, and because people wanted more, particularly something more personal and more genuine, word of mouth via the internet communication became the suitable answer to this consumer need. â€Å"Instead of fake artificial commercial messages, people can now get real-life comments from peers on anything they want (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † II. Word of mouth and the Internet. Word of mouth was a social phenomenon even before the age of Internet. But in the entry of the internet in the social structure and global culture, word of mouth communication, no doubt, was influenced by this new technology. â€Å"The development of the Internet has led to the appearance of new forms of word-of-mouth communication (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † Today, the internet and word of mouth is connected with each other; online word of mouth communication is expected by experts to increase as long as the users of the internet continue to increase. As online word of mouth communication increases, so is the power and influence of online word of mouth to affect consumer behavior and buying attitude, making word of mouth dependent on its online breadth for its power and influence, and the internet's source of power dependent in part in how individuals like consumers utilize this medium and give it power by exercising the newfound consumer power (word of mouth communication) through the internet and its features. â€Å"The importance of online WOM increases as access to and usage of the Internet continues to grow (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † Understanding how word of mouth works is one thing. But making word of mouth result favorably towards a particular product or item is more complicated. And with this knowledge, companies ensure that their initial task is not to make the most out of the word of mouth phenomenon by manipulating it in the onset; but rather to ensure that any marketing strategies outside word of mouth considerations do not become a source of negative publicity which in turn would be a potential negative feedback that can be fed in the word of mouth network and would generate more negative publicity and blow the problem out of controllable proportion. The companies’ task is the fine tuning of the advertising strategy driving the demand using sugarcoated advertising claims but paying attention not to initiate negative word-of-mouth effects (Takahashi, Sallach, Juliette, 2007, p. 109). † In the age of internet-based word of mouth, this is a task which is not as difficult as controlling a publicity crisis that went public and became the subject of many blogs and forums that can devastate and destroy the reputation of a product; there is just no ethical way to stop the bloggers from publishing online what they think and feel and how they respond to negative publicity, regardless of the notion that â€Å"bad publicity is still publicity. There is just too many bloggers, blog sites, forums and chat rooms in the information highway that controlling what comes from it is impossible, but making sure bloggers cannot say anything bad about the product, compared to the earlier task, appears more doable, workable and possible. At least through that, companies can hope that they have something they can use to attempt to equalize the impact of internet-based word of mouth communication. In this line of thought, it is easy to see that one of the effects of the powerful internet-based word of mouth communication is forcing companies to either make something flawless and good all in all, or be good in covering up foul ups and problematic aspects that can be used as topics to start communication threads and negative word of mouth streams of conversation that can be devastating. Simply said, this situation can translate to better quality control, with companies trying to play it fair with the consumers as much as possible, lest someone notices how things do not add up and publish it in the internet and create an online buzz that can negatively affect the image of the product and the company. Traditional or through the internet, word of mouth among customers and the consumer is a very powerful aspect of the mechanism of marketing and consumerism. Being able to understand this aspect is critical especially for market strategists and for the company themselves, so that they can, in turn, prepare for the possible trend in the word of mouth phenomenon, how it will affect the product and how they would hand this situation in a manner that benefits them more than harms them. Clemmer, Sheehy (1994) explained what the Washington, D. C. based group TARP or Technical Assistance Research Program found out, particularly that â€Å"while only a small percent of your unhappy customers bother to tell you about their dissatisfaction, they are eager to tell lots of your potential customers about the problems they have had dealing with you (Clemmer, Sheehy, 1994, p. 15). † This is just one of the many proofs that customers talk to each other, share each other’s experiences, and more often than not, take to heart the input they receive from other people and use it to affect their future decision making when it comes to buying or p atronizing a product or item. Through word of mouth phenomenon, many things come into play and not just patronage of products – sometimes the success of the new things being offered to the public is also dependent on word of mouth, regardless of whether or not the outcome resulting from the word of mouth is good or bad publicity for the product. â€Å"Favorable WOM has been found to be positively related to new-product diffusion†¦ Even negative WOM is found to increase credibility (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † Increased Role of Word of Mouth Today. As years go by and as the attitude of consumerism increases around the world, the power of consumer input through different channels including the use of word of mouth communication (WOMC) also increased in significance. Partly, this is one of the means by which both the consumers and the companies in need of genuine product, service and performance appraisal can have real, first hand information about how the public as consumers really feel about a product, service or item sold to them. Word of mouth has become one of the gauges, not just of product appraisal but of the performance as well, of the companies to be able to deliver to the public what the public genuinely needs, and not what the companies want the people to need. â€Å"In the past decade, word of mouth and its more formal manifestation found in many consumer and industry protection movements have been playing a much bigger part in broadcasting what kind of service/quality a company is consistently delivering as perceived by its customers (Clemmer, Sheehy, 1994, p. 5). † The increase in this trend is due largely to the growth and increase in customer participation. â€Å"The influence of blogs and podcasts is increasing due to fast expansion of the audience and contributors (Swoboda, Morschett, Rudolph, Schnedlitz, Schramm-Klein, 2008, p. 9). † Word of mouth has become an important point of concern for marketing. This is because at the entry of the internet and the weakening hold of traditional advertising and marketing effort to influence the public, the consumers found in the World Wide Web a new source of information, as well as a place where they have the chance to speak about their experience as consumers, in the process empowering consumers and making them not just mere recipients of the messages of the advertising and marketing strategies but also a source of information that can seriously compete and challenge traditional marketing and advertising when it comes to reaching and affecting the consciousness of the audience. Professionals know about this already, but they are careful not to openly admit how consumers of today rely on word of mouth in the internet blogs and forums. How they are very cautious not to make internet-based word of mouth push their carefully and delicately laid out advertising and marketing plans out of order by making sure that even the consumer has fully ignored the commercials, the word of mouth results still puts a particular product in a positive light. Nacht and Chaney (2006) quoted Paul Beelen who said that a positive comment is very important, more important compared to commercials or print ads especially if the comment was something that came from â€Å"someone you know and trust (Nacht and Chaney (2006, p. 64). † Beelen, as quoted by Nacht and Chaney, went on to explain by stressing that word of mouth became more potent now than it was before because of the fact that â€Å"millions of consumers are now also publishers (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 4)† and the traditional word of mouth that was once left in the party huddles now jumps off and lives on longer and extends towards a wider audience via â€Å"the World Wide Web, in the form of podcasts, wikis, forums, and most importantly: blogs (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). † Word of Mouth Marketing and the Power of the Internet Why is word of mouth very powerful? One of the reasons is that because it happens as part of a very simple and common human experience. It i s an important part of constant everyday interaction between individuals. Because the efficacy found in the word of mouth phenomena is the fact that there is a sense of commitment and the value of trust and credibility that people are willing to put on the line, making people trust the appraisal of the person who have already used a particular product. This power is a very important power that marketing strategists need to have if they want to be able to control and predict the outcome of buying attitudes and consumer preferences, the result more favorable to the product they intend to sell to the market. For example, the traditional word of mouth phenomenon happens between friends, between relatives or peers in the house, in the neighborhood, in the office or in locations where human verbal interaction is possible. A housewife may rant to a neighbor and fellow housewife how the recent upholstery stain remover did not work for her and how it messed the sofa more. Of course, housewife #2 do not have any way of finding out if this was true or if the worsening of the condition was caused by other factors (i. e. wrong use of the cleaner, etc), but there is a very large possibility that housewife #2 will shy away from the particular brand being discussed and select another brand (not unless the brand being talked about is something that housewife #2 has already used in the past and depended on for quality and performance). Nonetheless, this illustrates what is in play in the word of mouth phenomena. It becomes more credible because people believe that the appraisal/assessment of a product/service is based largely on true, first hand experience without any manipulative motive from the source of information besides the need to share the experience with another individual. The same effect marketing and PR professionals try to produce everytime they use common or ordinary looking individuals to comment on their products or everytime they use the everyday man random interview wherein the individual endorses a product based on his/her own true experience, which some individuals may not easily believe knowing that actors in paid ads are mere puppets and totally unreliable sources of information in a pseudo-word of mouth approach. This traditional word of mouth model is no different from how word of mouth communication and word of mouth marketing happens today in the online world or through the internet. â€Å"In recent years, the opportunity for consumers to generate WOMC (word of mouth communication), and the rate at which it is disseminated, has increased significantly due to penetration of the Internet (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). Bloggers talk about items they recently bought or thinking of buying, and more often than not replies to the subject thread will generate different opinions about the product being talked about, and this series and streams of ideas racing back and forth between individuals involved in conversation through blogging affect the perception not just of the bloggers involved but also those who come across the blog site and gets to read it (i. . those who searched for the particular product in the search bar to get more information about the item, who will soon have dif ferent notions and particular mindset about the item which was unknown to the person prior to reading the blog and message threads that influenced the individuals thinking and perception about the product). Word of mouth marketing and communication placed in the plateau or realm of the internet is more influential and powerful as it is more dangerous because the spreading of word of mouth through the internet is easier and can target and reach more individuals compared to traditional word of mouth experiences. Because of this, marketing strategist are all the more concerned about the power of the internet-based word of mouth phenomenon. â€Å"Chat rooms and message boards, for example, allow individuals to share experiences with relative ease (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). † For example, talking about a particular product or item in a chat room with 50 listed participants (something which is not impossible or difficult to achieve, especially with the growth of social networking via the internet that links more and more people together in a tightly knit web of online community that connects one to another in many different links) already puts the source of the information in a position wherein he/she can influence 49 different individuals, especially if the topic/item/product is about something that is of common interest to everyone in the chatroom (i. . the newest electronic entertainment gadget among young individuals or a particular product or item among hobbyist, like the newest GPRS gadget among outdoor enthusiast). Imagine the impact of influencing 49 individuals, something that is not easy to do traditionally since it is not easy to gather 50 individuals in one location on a particular time only to rant about product appraisal (not unless its the a nnual Tupperware Party, where the preferences of the individual on a particular common interest is already a given). Manipulating Internet-Based Word of Mouth Communication Because of the power of online word of mouth communication, there are several efforts to cheat word of mouth communication by planting individuals that will act as sources to create a stir in the internet and in the process allow people to talk about a particular product or item in the internet through blogs and forums and chat rooms, in the process creating word of mouth communication and marketing the product/item/service to the consumer. A perfect example is what happened in the internet during the effort to create popularity for a former pop star. â€Å"Students hired to post questions and comments on teen-oriented chat rooms and bulletin boards generated discussion and interest in pop singer Christina Aguilera (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † The power of word of mouth found in internet tools is very potent that companies are also trying to find ways on how to combat the presence of negative inputs directed at company products resulting from online word of mouth communication. Trademark owners may be able to suppress or excise negative word of mouth (Goldman, 2008, p. 404). † This can be also considered as manipulating online word of mouth, largely to protect the interest of companies who are in danger of bad publicity and bad public standing if word of mouth in the internet is not properly handled. Because of the power of online word of mouth and the collaboration of the word of mouth culture with the internet technology, several changes happened. One of which is the challenging the traditional market cycle power players. Experts believe that online and offline word of mouth communication functions differently. And because of that, control is something that companies are struggling with as word of mouth in the internet increases. â€Å"Offline, trademark owners have a fair amount of control over consumer perceptions of their brands. Online word of mouth undermines that control (Goldman, 2008, p. 04). † Challenging the Traditional â€Å"Expert-Review† Notion Another important characteristic of word of mouth communication in the internet that makes it very influential and significant in the consumer reception and patronage of a product in the shelf is because of what experts believe as the shift of credibility from the traditional â€Å"product experts† to the everyday, everyman blogger in the internet where word of mouth is mostly prevalent. Even if companies pay for the opinion of respected â€Å"product experts,† it hardly matters now because it seems like individuals who want information about a product read about what other individuals like themselves has to say about the product before creating their own mindset and perspective about the item. â€Å"Nowadays, customer reviews posted in different forums or virtual communities, web blogs and podcasts are much more powerful and believable than expert product reviews (Swoboda, Morschett, Rudolph, Schnedlitz, Schramm-Klein, 2008, p. 8). † This is good news for those who will be affected by word of mouth in a positive manner, especially those whose appraisal that was transferred via word of mouth through blog(s) commend the product and encourage other people to use it, because this phenomena evens out the impending failure in credibility of perceived product experts. This can also spell doom and worst case marketing crisis management for those which were appraised negatively in the blogosphere. Word of Mouth as a Source of Important Information One of the sources of power of word of mouth is because people rely on it, generally for information. In this age where there are many things being offered to them, each type of item available in different brands, customers wanted to have more information until they are satisfied that they know what they need to know after making the purchase. â€Å"A second source for consumers to learn about a new product is through word-of-mouth (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † This was true during the pre-internet age, and still holds true now that Internet became part of the social culture and took an important part in how word of mouth is undertaken today. Word of mouth, particularly internet based word of mouth communication has been an important source of information that some believe that it has already overtaken the significance of the traditional mass media platforms when it comes to consumer preference on where to find the information that they want to know. Take for example, the case for the diffusion of new products in the market. Some experts believe that in this particular area, word of mouth is very important factor in how the sales and marketability of the new product will turn out after consumer reception to the product is gauged. Awareness of new products primarily came from personal communications, with mass media only consulted when more information was desired (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † That people rely heavily on the input of other people rather than the impact of mass media advertising and marketing strategy only points to the idea that large sections of the items, services and other things for sale – particularly those which is in its initial launch level – depend the level of consumer saturation based on how the consumer and their preferences and buying habits will react to the input of word of mouth in their consciousness. Some studies have shown that innovators engage in more WOM communication than do imitators†¦ and are more dependent on WOM (Krishnamurthy, 2004, p. 273). † III. The Internet and the consumer One of the best things that happened to the world is the internet, as much as the internet is one of the best things that happened to consumers because of many different reasons. First, the internet improved purchasing, making the buying and selling of things faster and more convenient both for the vendor and the customer. Online purchasing is also now an option to consumers, thanks to the internet. Another important impact of the internet in the world of consumers is how the internet gave the consumers the power by providing consumers with a new platform for word of mouth communication. In the past, the consumers are left with very little options and chances for their opinion and thoughts to be heard by the companies that sell items, by their fellow consumers and by the rest of the world. With the entry of the internet, the consumer section is once again empowered because they have now, through the internet, what they did not have when the transfer of information was controlled largely by manufacturers and vendors. â€Å"Using the internet, consumers can now easily publish their opinions, providing their thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints on products and services to the public at large (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 35). † A place to speak and influence other consumers through online word of mouth was made possible by the internet, and the consumers are now not merely the end-recipients of the products of capitalism and manufacturing. Consumers, with a more powerful type of word of mouth communication through the internet, can make people boycott brands and products and seriously affect the sales of different items simply by convincing individuals through blogs and forums and chats why such products should not be patronized. Consumers will never see fellow consumers as someone with an agenda, and because of this, they will take the input of fellow consumers and allow it to seriously influence them. Influencing Brand Perceptions Through the use of the internet, the consumer is not only provided with a new way to purchase goods and items, but also given the chance to influence other consumers towards brand perception. â€Å"The broad reach of online word of mouth gives consumers tremendous power to influence brand perceptions (Goldman, 2008, p. 404). † The Power of the Internet in Consumer World There are many proofs of the power of the internet in the consumer world. Some of the proofs include the fact that through the internet, consumers are connected with each other. â€Å"The Internet helps create new word of mouth content and disseminate word of mouth to new and previously unreachable audiences (Goldman, 2008, p. 404),† while another significant proof of the power of the internet in the consumer world is the entry of internet and how it impacted trademark law, â€Å"Online word of mouth poses the most important challenge to Internet trademark law (Goldman, 2008, p. 04). † These proofs of the power of the internet in the consumer world particularly through the internet-based word of mouth only highlights the limitations found in traditional and/or offline word of mouth communication. â€Å"Offline, consumer word of mouth plays a major role in the marketplace by disciplining some brands and rewarding others, but a person’s views typically reach only a limited number of people (Goldman, 2008, p. 404). † Proof of the Power of Internet-Based Word of Mouth The effects of word of mouth among customers and consumers have been studied extensively for years. Ever since market analyst identified the power of word of mouth in the market value and market success of products and other things for sale to the consumers, many entities like TARP have undertaken studies in order to understand more how word of mouth works and how it actually affects things. â€Å"TARP has studied the ripple effects of dissatisfied customers and word of mouth testimonials. The results will rock anyone concerned about sales and marketing (Clemmer, Sheehy, 1994, p. 15). But studies are not just the sole proof that can validate the claim that internet-based word of mouth is effective and is being seriously used today in aggressive marketing. Other proofs may include the cases in the past that pointed to the role and power of internet-based word of mouth and how it influenced the outcome of consumer/public patronage and support. Other proofs of the power of the internet -based word of mouth communication are identified by experts by naming instances wherein internet-based word of mouth communication was important in the marketing and in the ensuing success of the product/item/services for sale to the public. One of the industries that depend on positive public acceptance of what they sell for them to survive and sustain themselves is the entertainment industry, particularly movie making. In the past, many different movies saw what the Internet-based word of mouth can do for particular movies to make it big in the silver screen, including popular titles like the hit Blair Witch Project. â€Å"After the success of the use of Internet buzz in promoting the movie The Blair Witch Project, studios are increasingly relying on online WOM to develop interest in new films (Schindler, Bickart, 2005, p. 5). † The movie acted as a perfect case study that indicate the impact of internet-based word of mouth and how it can create a stir among consumers that can lead to consumption of the product (in this case, leading the people to watch the movie). Because of this, many other marketing strategists of other film outfits followed suit, including this particular formula in the overall marketing str ategy to guarantee the success of the movie based on patronage and public support. The same was the case in the more recent movies, like the global smash hit epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings which, according to Schindler and Bickart (2005), relied on the role and impact of the internet and how it can diffuse word of mouth information via its many different features. â€Å"New Line Cinemas encouraged the development of unofficial web sites about the movies, providing these sites with interviews with the film’s director in order to generate discussion and excitement about the movies (Schindler and Bickart, 2005, p35). Blogs – a Powerful Internet-Based Word of Mouth Communication Tool The creation of blogs and the blogosphere, and how the consumers were quick to embrace and utilize this new, internet-based form of interpersonal interaction is one of the main reasons why the internet has become a very potent source for word of mouth communication, word of mouth marketing and advertising, and word of mouth communication that can either seriously improve or damage a particular product or brand. While blogs are not exclusively focused on product and services analysis, it is easily noticeable how the traditional trend occurring between neighbors who chat and compare their thoughts on different products and services (in the process producing word of mouth communication) transformed into online neighborhood chat. Only this time, the people involved in the conversation of product and services comparison are bigger in numbers and not limited to geographical boundaries. An American youth can blog about his assessment of the latest mobile phone or media player, which can get different reactions from other individuals who may or may not be directly related or connected with the blogger from as far as Asian or European countries. They can converse via their entries and replies in the blog and talk as if they are next door neighbors even when offline they are mere strangers to each other and live thousands of miles away. It is for this particular power to â€Å"spread the word† that marketing strategies and companies make sure that they make sufficient consideration and leg room to accommodate the possible input of blogs and word of mouth communication in the internet in their overall market strategy and the overall performance of the product they are trying to sell. Generally, what every company can hope for is that the bloggers in the blogosphere have mostly good words to tell to each other when it comes to appraising the product/services that they are trying to sell to the public. â€Å"Not only will consumers talk to you via your blog, they also will talk to one another. Your readers can become your best brand-building evangelists, helping you to spread your message and your presence throughout their networks (Nacht, Chaney 2006, p. 64). † Being able to get an online ally and brand evangelist (directly or indirectly) is important because it does not only make one’s product or services look good, but it also helps in selling the product/service to the people. As what most experts believe, what people read in the online blogs focused on product and services assessment and appraisal greatly affect the individual in what he or she might want to buy in the very immediate future. â€Å"For consumers, blogs are like customer reviews on Yahoo! ocal or Amazon, which are helpful in making decisions about what to buy and whose services to use (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 65). † This is the needed push so that consumers can take it to the next level – to actually buy an item, and to start the foundation of a long lasting brand patronage and to trigger the start of new word of mouth by using the new consumer as the new source of information for other people whom the consumer can convince to either try the brand or opt for something else. Of course, marketing and advertising people have since made it their task to provide that necessary push to (1) make the consumer buy, (2) start the foundation of brand loyalty, and (3) make the consumer new sources of information that can influence other consumers and expand the network of word of mouth communication that delivers a very positive message favorable to the product/service being sold to the public. Today, experts believe that this task is something that advertisers and marketing professionals cannot achieve solely by themselves and their efforts. Internet-based tools like blogs provide the crucial word of mouth communication that heavily influences consumers. Blogs, one of the most popular and user-friendly internet-based tool for word of mouth communication, is proving that it is one of the forces to reckon with, flexing extensive power that dictates the movement in consumer attitude. â€Å"Blogs are word of mouth supercharged (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64)! † Add to this trend the consideration that most people outside of the marketing and advertising business is fast catching up with what advertising and marketing is trying to do. They sense the artificial push given to consumer and in the process, making consumers less and less dependent on advertising and more and more difficult to be influenced by advertisements especially when it comes to consulting other people about product input to affect buying attitude and preference. With internet-based tools like blogs, consumers feel like they are genuinely talking to another person who would give them an honest, first hand, experience-based opinion without any motive or agenda to influence the consumer’s buying preference other than to provide information. It is something that most believe they do not actually get from advertisements and marketing campaigns geared at making brands look good and pleasing to the senses and covering up areas which maybe problematic or undesirable for the consumer in real life. In their book, Nacht and Chaney (2006) used as an example the result of a North Carolina survey, and wrote that â€Å"one third of all consumers would prefer to receive product information from friends and specialists rather than from advertising (Nacht and Chaney, 2006, p. 65). The idea of â€Å"friends† in this particular idea would likely include peers and contacts in the online/internet network of an individual. The exchange of information between â€Å"friends† to substitute the information gathering from advertising-based sources most likely happens online, including the use of blogs through writing blogs or reading other people's blogs about the product, in this case blogs act, according to PR strategist Steve Rubel, as a â€Å"24/7 focus group that's transparent and out in the open (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 64). Companies also understand the significance of blogs and have a particular role for blogs to play in how consumerism works, in the hope that blogs can assist them in making sure consumerism and its related socio-economic conditions interact together favorably for the company and its products and items it sells to the public. â€Å"Smart businesses will pay attention to blogs, using them as kind of informal network of consumer opinion. Blogs have become a word-of-mouth marketing channel that allows companies to keep a pulse on their marketplace (Nacht, Chaney, 2006, p. 4). † The Internet Versus the Traditional Tri-Media So how does the internet and its features (i. e. websites, blogs etc) actually become another important source of word of mouth marketing and in the process have the capacity to influence the buying attitudes and preferences of the consumers? The internet, like the radio, print media and the television are all platforms used for the movement of information. The f irst three types of information platforms – the tri-media – nearly had the similar effect that the internet has. While the tri-media, no doubt, had immense effect on buying attitude and preferences and overall marketing, there is something that the internet has managed to give to the target consumers that the tri-media failed to provide them: interactivity. Because the websites and the blogs and the podcasts feature interactivity by allowing ordinary individuals to have a say on products or items for sale, people listen to what they have to say more. And because the internet is an accessible and available platform for discussion between and among customers (something that is not available for the other tri-media since the information direction here is one way – from the companies to the target audience), consumers who tried the product or service feels good that they have an avenue where they as ordinary consumers can appraise and assess a product, without the restrictions of companies and without the marketing scripts and paid appearances by individuals posing as ordinary consumers in the tri-media marketing which, as years went by, became passe and hardly credible a style for word of mouth marketing to convince the consumer/audience. Blogs and the websites has proven that it is a fresh new approach that meant empowering the consumers, allowing them not only to be informed but also to speak about the products and services they bought. The absence of pretentiousness and feigned positive approval in the world of blogging has made it a very influential tool because people speak based from their own appraisal of the product or services. And if the appraisal is good, then this type of word of mouth marketing can indeed help a product to gain more followers and patrons. Similarly, the bloggers who are not impressed by something they bought may speak about the product negatively. This is a serious threat to the market power and credibility of the product. Since the time of television, print and radio advertisements, marketing personnel are already conscious of the impact of having an â€Å"ordinary and common† individual talk about the product. This is why many brands have opted to pick someone that is not popular, someone that represents the common folk, to speak positively about the product as if what they are saying in the television, print or radio advertisement is a genuine personal appraisal and not a scripted one. Of course, to be able to get a space in television, radio or print media, one has to pay a hefty sum, and because of that, it is impossible an d impractical for the real common folk to talk to the masses via the avenues of mass communication about how he or she felt about a particular detergent brand or hamburger chain. The internet, through personal websites and blogs, is a very cheap way to make one’s own assessment of products through product reviews. In this particular sphere, the genuine essence of the idea of word of mouth is maximized because blogging meant that the entire worldwide communities hooked in the internet are talking to each other. This explains the idea that an important aspect of word of mouth marketing information transfer traffic is highly dependent on how the need to interact with peers and friends is facilitated and consumed by the consumers themselves. â€Å"Interaction with peers triggers new customer needs and alters buying attitude (Swoboda, Morschett, Rudolph, Schnedlitz, Schramm-Klein, 2008, p. 8). By blogging, people can influence other people not just about particular brand preferences. They can also influence other people about starting to want to buy something which an individual did not know or want in the past prior to the onset of the influence of the input of blogging or of a particular blog article. Through blogs they tell each other what products they find best and what products they find disappointing. They talk to each other, and the speed by which their messages are sent to each other is something that the traditional tri-media cannot match, making the bloggers and what they say to each other more powerful and more influential. Conclusion How the world is recognizing the true impact of the optimization of a potential of the internet as a powerful tool in marketing particularly through word of mouth marketing today just goes to show that, similar to the case of the traditional tri-media during its early years, new information platforms are always important avenues that affect the people and the different aspects of their lives, one of which is buying attitude and buying preferences. Add to the fact that compared to the era of the early years of the traditional tri-media, the world today at the apex of the influence of the internet on modern day life is also characterized vis-a-vis by the heightened sense of consumerism and capitalism that more and more people are investing in businesses that create new things to sell to the people because they can make people believe they need to buy these things. As products and brands compete for the limited budget of consumers, elbowing each other to be able to find a place in the grocery or shopping bag, what peers in the internet world has to say to each other about particular items and brands is an important word of mouth marketing hinged on electronic/digital medium of information dissemination that should be consistently studied so that they can have the knowledge on how they can use this tool for their own advantage, marketing-wise. This endeavor has, no doubt, started. But the study of this phenomena brings to light the prospect that the media and platforms of information and interactivity will always be an important tool to shape social attitudes, including consumer attitudes towards buying, brand preference and item selection. â€Å" The social effects of the social media are, by and large, a fascinating research area and a field most likely to shape future consumer or even human behavior (Swoboda et al, 2008, p. 9). May it be traditional word of mouth phenomena or online, internet-based word of mouth, what serves as a constant truth is that word of mouth remains an important and influential aspect of social interaction that affects market power of items for sale because word of mouth affects the buying attitude and consumer preferences. â€Å"It appears that electronically transferred or face-to-face WOMC has the potential to alter carefully planned marketing communication programs, depending on how consumers process such information (De Carlo, Laczniak, Sridhar, 2003, p. 225). † This leans towards the understanding that marketing strategies should always take into consideration word of mouth experiences and its impact and how word of mouth can be controlled to favor a particular product and act as a usef ul support mechanism in a marketing strategy.