The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act Of...

HIPPA Compliance Administrators that practice in a healthcare setting are used to the turbulence and at times rapid change in healthcare. They find themselves in the private, public, or non-profit sectors of health care, managed care arrangements, integrated service networks, or community agencies. To be an effective manager, it is important to understand the legal and ethical principles that are included in this environment and the legal relationship between consumer and the organization. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, also known as HIPAA, was created to prevent the unauthorized release of patient information. The Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects the privacy of†¦show more content†¦Personal health information can be anything from general information such as the patient’s name, medical record number, social security number, address, or even their date of birth. Any health information pertains to the patient such as diagnosis, medical history, medications. Employees must make sure no medical paper work is visible as well as screen protectors are on all computer screens, where you may be documenting health information. It is important that all health care employees log out of a computer when they leave that station. Employees that are aware of a breach of confidently should use their change of command set up by their facility also notify their incidents or situations to their hospital’s privacy officer. To promote the proper use of health information, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH Act, was created. Prior to the HITECH Act, HIPAA violations only resulted in minimal fines. Violations would result in a $100 fine, and a covered entity could only achieve a total of $25,000 in fines in one calendar year. The HITECH Act has broken the violations down into four categories, and has distributed the fines across them based on the category of violation. The first category would be a violations that caused by someone who didn’t know they were violating HIPAA. The fines for this tier are in the range The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act Of... HIPPA and Information Management Introduction The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was passed to protect patients, it offer the following benefits (a) enables the patient to find out how their health records can be used, (b) limits the release of personnel health records, (c) patients have the opportunity to receive a copy of their health records, and (d) gives the patient the authority to control if their information will be disclosed to a third party. Under HIPPA any information that can be used to identify an individual is covered under the law. HIPPA and information management allows the federal government to implement guidelines to ensure that there are standards in place during the (a)†¦show more content†¦Literature Review HIPPA and Information Management Regulatory Background HIPAA and Information Management is a set of guidelines that have been established by the Federal government to protect the privacy and security of health information. The government passed the HIPPA legislation to accomplish the following: (a) expedite quality health care, (b) increase control over and access of medical records, and (c) decrease administrative cost of healthcare providers (Artnak, Benson, 2005). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the federal agency that has been mandated to develop guidelines, and procedures. The government published the HIPPA privacy rules and the HIPPA security rules (National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2008). HIPPA laws are designed to (a) protect the person’s medical records, (b) protect personal information, (c) provide protection to medical professionals, and (d) offer the capability to incorporate new technology to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care (HHS, n.d.a). As a result of the rapid change in technology there are concerns regarding how to secure and manage electronic health records. Can anyone guarantee that electronic health records will ever be 100% secure? If you think about it, when medical records were strictly maintained using paper no one could offer 100% security. The government has measures in place to keep up with the ever so changing world of information The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act Of... Another important component within Healthcare information security is having the necessary legal backing to create and enforce information security laws. Without such laws, healthcare providers would not be required to show due diligence in protecting patient information, and patient information would be at risk. Thus, legislation is beginning to play a significant role in establishing rules, regulations, and consequences. For instance, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) maintains one of the most well-known laws meant to protect the privacy of health information - the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA is composed of statute and rules such as the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, Breach Notification Rule,†¦show more content†¦For instance, while the HIPAA mandates risk assessment and risk management, it â€Å"does not mandate the frequency of reviews or updates† (Sayles Trawick, 2010, p. 304-305). Thus, lack of specifics can lead to s ome inadequacies or inconsistencies within the legal system, causing healthcare providers and/or patients to adopt information technology with reluctance. Ultimately, enforceable legislation is a significant step for obtaining a strong foundation for information security in healthcare. It is imperative that the legal system be able to dynamically and quickly adapt to the needs of the healthcare industry, in order to keep pace with information technology and the latest security threats. In addition to legal support, standards have been implemented to assist with health information security. For instance, the ISO/IEC 27002 is a standard that was created in the mid 1990’s to provide theory and recommended techniques for dealing with information security. Furthermore, the ISO 27799 supplements the ISO/IEC 27002 by providing more detailed guidance that has been customized for the healthcare industry. According to Fernà ¡ndez-Alemà ¡n, Seà ±or, Lozoya, Toval, the ISO 27799 standard â€Å"provides clear, concise and healthcare-specific guidance on the selection and implementation of security controls for the protection of health information, and is adaptable to the wide range of sizes, locations, and service delivery models found in healthcare.† Thus, it would appear that

IIO course Free Essays

For example, learning through trial and error how to interact with one’s spouse or one’s boss intelligently may be expensive for the person as well as for others in terms of emotional energy drained, career failure, or broken relationships. This course will take you through the accumulated wisdom on interpersonal skills. After all, wise people learn from others’ experience and from the accumulated wisdom. We will write a custom essay sample on IIO course or any similar topic only for you Order Now Learning Goals: In addition to the course objectives mentioned above, students should expect to develop the following by end of the course 1 . Decision Making Skills and Analytical Ability : An ability to arrive at a feasible criteria for Implementation of a decision among a set of equally competitive possibilities : through quantitative and / or qualitative analysis of data and contextual information / industry analysis . Critical Analysis and Creative Communication Skills: Each student should be able to identify key issues relevant to this course, develop a perspective supported by externally obtained / instructor provided information ; capacity to distinguish between major, minor, peripheral and irrelevant factors as well as exogenous and endogenous variables ; and present and defend the decision arrived at based on the assessment criteria already established. . Interpersonal Communication and Group Working Ability: Each student is required to demonstrate an ability to appreciate peer group member view point and work In team environment, exalting a clear understanding of Individual roles and tasks, ability to Identify and resolve Required Text Book: Hunter, J. C. (1998). The servant: A simple story about the true essence of leadership (p. 187). New York: Crown Business. Additional Readings: as per course outline EVALUATION COMPONENTS: Components of Course Evaluation Percentage Distribution Class Participation You should come to class fully prepared with each session’s prescribed readings completed (prepared means being capable of starting an educated discussion or answering the facilitator’s questions in class on any section). A deep and thorough understanding of the required readings is expected. Preparedness will be tested individually by asking questions to some students. If you are unable to answer questions satisfactorily, you will lose 5 percentage points of the weighted for this course each time you fail to answer a question raised by the faculty in the class (this means that if you fail to answer four questions in class, you will lose the entire 20% for class participation). Moreover, for each session you must summarize your insights n the form of a short sentence/phrase of not more than 140-characters (including spaces). This â€Å"tweet† for each session must be submitted on the web link provided to you before 0600 hours on the day of the session. The tweet must not be picked up from any of the prescribed readings, but is a summary of your insights from the readings. Do not share your tweet with others- if two or more students have very similar or same tweets, then all concerned students will lose all marks for their submission. Quizzes (There will be one quiz at the end of the course, which will include only little-choice questions with h negative marking). 80% Total 100 COURSE MATERIAL AND HANDOUTS: Soft copies of course material including case studies will be uploaded in the blackboard. Hard copies will be distributed prior to the class and will be available at resource center SESSION WISE TOPICS AND READINGS: session NO-I Session Title Introduction students learn about leadership through service to others. Journal of Business Ethics, 15 (1), 103-110. Pedagogy Lecture and Discussion Session No-2 Session Title Introduction to Karma-Yoga Reading Material Karma in its effect on character. Karma-Yoga, 1-12. Hunter Prologue. Pedagogy Lecture and Discussion Session No-3 Session Title Leadership and Power Reading Material Hunter Chapter 1 (The Definitions). What is duty? Karma-Yoga, 52-64. Pedagogy Lecture and Discussion Session No-4 Session Title Introduction to Servant Leadership Reading Material Hunter Chapter 2 (The old paradigm) Hunter Chapter 3 (The model). Pedagogy Lecture and Discussion Session No-5 Session Title Love and Leadership Reading Material Hunter Chapter 4 (The verb). We help ourselves, not the world. Karma-Yoga, 65-77. Session No-6 Session Title Managing the Environment Reading Material Hunter Chapter 5 (The environment) Hunter Chapter 6 (The choice). Session No-7 Session Title Why lead? Reading Material Hunter Chapter 7 (The payoff Hunter Epilogue The ideal of Karma- Yoga. Karma-Yoga, 117-131. ATTENDANCE Regularity in Attendance Regular attendance is considered extremely important in the BGP. All students therefore, must comply on regular attendance in class. The relative deduction of having attendance of less than 60% (irrespective of medical certificates) shall not be permitted to appear for the examination in that term/academic year and will carry â€Å"F† read in the course. Institute uses biometric attendance for recording attendance of students. In the event of two continuous sessions, students are required to punch twice at the beginning of each session if there is a break in between the sessions. The class room doors will be closed within 5 minutes of starts for each session. Student attendance will be a component while grading them for the course. If the instructor wishes to take physical attendance along with the Biometric attendance, they will communicate the same in the class. In this case also Biometric attendance ill be the official record (and not the physical attendance) for the course. Instructors have been advised to report about habitual absentees (habitual absentee is defined as students absent in the class for more than three classes consecutively). Unauthorized absence from class/institute will be considered a breach of discipline and the Institute will be free to take appropriate action in such cases. The same student will be asked to face disciplinary committee. Students will not be given any attendance for any committee related activities which warrants them to drop from the class. They are required to undertake all committee related work beyond class hours. Under extra-ordinary circumstances, students may obtain leave of absence under the following rules and procedures: Prior permission of the Director BGP must be obtained for availing of leave. Students are not permitted to go out of station during the terms. In the event of students visiting their local guardian for overnight stay, they must inform the Director BGP and adman office (Officer in charge of hostels) and only travel after receiving a proper gate pass. If a student is noticed to be out of station for overnight thou any intimation to the Director BGP, disciplinary action will be taken against him/her to the extent of debarring the student from appearing in the examinations. In case of sickness, medical certificate issued and/or countersigned by the doctor along with the prescribed application form must be submitted to the BGP Office within 3 days of Joining classes after illness. No student shall be allowed to Join the program unless he/she presents a medical fitness certificate duly endorsed by a Medical Officer of the designated hospital only. No medical certificates from doctors there than the Institute approved hospital will be entertained. Institute’s approved hospital’s Medical Officers will issue medical certificates only in case of diagnosed illness where they are convinced that the student is too ill to attend classes. These include hospitalizing, communicable diseases (chicken-pox, jaundice and typhoid) and accidental injuries (fractures, deep traumas). Cases depending on the genuinely of the case by the BGP Director. However no compensatory attendance and examination will be held for the period of leave. Students will be awarded grades on the basis of their attendance level and reference only in the classes from which they were present. Before applying for leave to the Director BGP a student should contact his/her course instructors to ensure that he/she is not missing any quizzes or examinations during the leave period. The BGP Office or the faculty concerned will not be responsible for the student losing any segment of evaluation on account of his/her leave. No compensatory opportunity will be given for quizzes and other class room based components on account of leave of any kind. Attendance and Performance Grade Penalty Each student is expected to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in each course. The grade penalty will be imposed on all the students who do not meet the minimum 80% attendance requirements in each course in the following manner: Attendance of Student Performance Grade Penalty More than or equal to 70% but less than One grade drop (e. G. From A to A-) More than or equal to but less than 70% Two grade drop (e. . From A to B+) Less than 60% F grade will be awarded If a student gets D grade in a particular course and also gets a grade drop due to attendance shortage, ‘D’ will become an ‘F’ grade. If a student fails to meet the specified attendance requirement, his/her grade in the respective course(s) would be ordered by the Director BGP in accordance with the grade penalty rules laid down above. Ex iting and Entering Students are expected to remain in the classroom, be mentally alert, and participate in the class proceedings for the duration. If a student must leave early for unavoidable reasons, that student should obtain permission from the professor before the class begins. Leaving and re-entering the class is not permitted, except under extraordinary circumstances. Faculty members may cross check the attendance and if a student is found absent in the class, the case will be sent to spieling committee and actions will be taken by the committee. Norms of Behavior Students should demonstrate respect for Faculty and fellow students. Respectful behavior contributes to the enhanced learning experience. Students should refrain from disruptive behavior such as eating, using laptops, and holding side- conversations. Using laptops during is allowed only on the instruction of the proper forum instead of seeking an immediate solution. All grievances may be addressed to the BGP-Director or respective functional heads and in his absence, to the Executive Director. In such cases, a copy should be marked o the above. Respect the Facilities Students are expected to help maintain chairs, display screen, desktop computers, LCD, tables, window curtains and electrical fittings in good usable condition and not damage them or render them useless. Students are expected not to destroy the classroom ambiance. The cost of damage, loss or theft on account of students will be recovered from them. When this cannot be attributed to one student, the cost will be recovered from an identifiable group of which the individual is a part or from the entire batch. Students are expected to use cans to dispose of trash. They are also encouraged to remove defacing or unclean material voluntarily. Essentially, students should always use proper reporting and escalating mechanisms for concerns and issues. Under no circumstances should students take matters into their own hands. Students are expected to use only the students’ dining hall for dining. Classrooms or any of the other administrative or academic areas shall not be used for dining. Great Lakes has adopted the principle of preserving the environment. Therefore, it tries to inculcate in the minds of its students and staff, a sense of being one with tauter causing no harm anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstances which will result in damage to the environment. Smoking, chewing tobacco and drinking alcohol in and around the premises is strictly prohibited. Severe penalties will accrue to those students caught violating this. Use of Laptops in the class Use of laptops in the class is strictly prohibited during class hours, unless specifically authorized by the Faculty or the Academic Administration. Biometric Readers: Bio-metric readers are installed for attendance in class rooms. Students must register their attendance using only these devices. How to cite IIO course, Papers

Brave New World Essay Research Paper Sometimes free essay sample

Brave New World Essay, Research Paper Sometimes really advanced societies overlook the necessities of the person. In the book Brave New World, Aldous Huxley creates two distinguishable societies: the Savages and the Fordians. The Fordians are technologically sophisticated, unlike the Savages. However, it is obvious that, overall, the Savages have more practical abilities, have more, complicated, ideals, and are much more advanced emotionally, which all help the person to turn. The Savage Reservation provides more chances for personal growing than does the Fordian society. Throughout the narrative, it is shown how the Fordian society is much more advanced technologically than the Savage Reservation. Because the Reservation is non to the full equipped with well-developed machinery to make all their work for them, they must larn to make it themselves. Unlike the Fordians, the Savages are taught functional accomplishments, such as sewing up simple cryings and weaving. In the narrative Mitsima, an old adult male from the reserve, teaches John the Savage how to do a clay pot, utilizing nil but a ball of clay and his ain two custodies. We will write a custom essay sample on Brave New World Essay Research Paper Sometimes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is a really practical and utile tool. The Savages are taught to cook for themselves, and to clean for themselves. These instructions help the person to turn practically. The Savages besides bestow good ideals in their people from which they can larn, understand, and grow. One of the most of import things that the Savages are taught is self-control. The Whipping Ceremony is a good illustration of this. In this ceremonial a immature adult male was whipped to decease in forepart of a big audience and throughout it he made no sound? [ and ] walked on at the same slow, steady gait ( 97 ) . The adult male is taught that to demo his strength he must utilize the extreme bounds of his self-denial. They are besides taught self-denial in how they are prohibited free sex. They must larn restraint through their lecherousness and desires. It is shown how capable the Savages are when commanding themselves in chapter 13. Lenina, whom John loves and desires more than anything in the universe, is proclaiming herself to John, and yet he restrains himself because they are non married. The Savages are besides taught to be responsible. For case, in households the parents must care for, love, and nurture their kids as best they can in order for them to develop. An illustration O degree Fahrenheit this is how Linda takes full duty for raising John, and even though she has really few accomplishments, she teaches him to read. Another thing that the Savages provide for their people is a yesteryear from which to larn. For illustration the old work forces in the Pueblo Tell narratives of how the universe began. They said that the seed of work forces and of all animals, the seed of the Sun and the seed of the Earth is how the universe was created ( 109 ) . The Savages can larn from this narrative non to take advantage of things. Thingss must be tended to for growing, like seeds. This narrative besides gives people the feeling that all things are equal. By stating that no affair how large or of import something is, it started as a seed, and requires the same type of attention, it is like stating that everything is every bit of import and cherished. Self-denial, strength, duty, and history are merely three of the ideals Savages are taught to assist them turn. The Savages are non withheld from experiencing emotion, and are encouraged to cover with them, instead than disregard them. This is shown is the disdain the Savage boys show towards John because he is different, and the hurting John feels. Even though these are non happy emotions they are still emotions which the Savages can utilize to show themselves. These emotions can be used as learning experiences and surely assist all of them to grow. The Savages are besides taught to show love. This is chiefly shown in the relationship between John and Linda. For illustration, when the angry adult females come to injury Linda, John tries to protect her and ends up himself acquiring hurt. Their love for each other is besides shown in how Linda reconciles with John after aching him when she all of a sudden put her weaponries round him and kissed him once more and once more ( 107 ) . All of these emotions contribute to person # 8217 ; s personality and assist him or her to turn as a feeling individual. Since the industrial revolution, human sort has placed great accent on technological alteration. The Savage society teaches us that pre-industrial values may hold every bit much to offer us as modern technological society does, and perchance more. The alleged Savage society is far more realistic, and shows stronger personal values than the more superficial Fordian society. Above all, the # 8216 ; Savages # 8217 ; can show their inner psyche far more efficaciously than their industrial opposite numbers.

Pros and Cons of Unions Essay Example

Pros and Cons of Unions Paper McKamie 1 Wendy McKamie Mrs. Cornelius Business Law October 6, 2011 The Pros and Cons of Unions During the active growth of the industrial movement in the nineteenth century, uneducated country fold went to larger cities to work in factories and ended up in substandard work environments, more often than not making low wages. Labor unions formed as a way for these workers to band together to have equal rights. Labor unions help their members by negotiating wages, benefits and working conditions – also known as collective bargaining Ashcroft and Ashcroft, 354). A single worker would have a slim chance acquiring a raise by simply going to the employer and requesting one. However, a union worker has the backing of a group of people that all work towards the same goal. The union has the benefit of representing the entire workforce, therefore having more success. On the down side, unions have so much power they can sometimes raise wages and benefits to unrealistically high levels. W hen this happens, the cost of labor is often passed down to the consumer, making products more expensive. The trickle-down effect hurts the economy and brings the cost of living to levels that the average Joe can’t always handle. It is simple economics. If labor costs are higher than the market determines it should be, after taking into account all other factors that make up production, then workers will be laid off or their compensation will be decreased. Wages are an important factor of production (Harding, 2011) Benefits offered through a union include family health care that never denies coverage, disability insurance, retirement and death benefits. Regardless if they are working or not, if the union dues are paid, they will always have these benefits. Members have to pay a fee to be in the union. Commonly called union dues, this is often a deterrent for someone that is not yet a member of a union. They feel they are â€Å"paying† someone else so they can have a job. A union member has to remain in good standing even when unemployed. They will lose their benefits and any retirement built up since entering the union. Workers must make that ultimate decision in the beginning. The union may fight for the ights of their members, but this service is far from free. Fortunately for a member, all union workers are treated equally in the workplace. There is no favoritism. Seniority is utilized for promotions. Raising wages and when they will occur is specified in a contract from the beginning. There are no â€Å"surprises†. Everyone is subject to the same guidelines and job responsibilities. Policies in a business without u nion representation can and will change without notice. In a union workplace, everything is determined beforehand. This benefits both employers and employees. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Unions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Unions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Unions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Employees enjoy more consistency because they know what is expected of them. Employers benefit from a more content work force and less time spent on training to enforce constant changes. Strikes are a powerful tool for unions. If demands or negotiations aren’t met by an employer, every member is expected to quit work immediately. These can cause serious repercussions to people even if they aren’t involved in the debate. For example, if teachers go on strike in order to negotiate higher wages, school has to be canceled and students are put out of class. Nurses can seriously hurt how a hospital is run. Without nurses, there would be nobody licensed to take care of the patients other than doctors, therefore putting the patient’s health at risk. Strikes are rare but the potential still must be considered when discussing the benefits or problems with unionized labor. Current union workers will tell you being a member of a union today isn’t the same as it was in the 1970’s or 1980’s. The advantages now are far less than it was then. The decline in employers that hire union workers has made it difficult to find work. Some only work half of the year in their particular trade because so many employers would rather save the bottom dollar than hire a skilled professional through a union (Jaggers, 2011). The bad reputation of unions precedes them therefore slowing down recruitment of future union members. To an extent, this is due to lack of information to the general public about the benefits that a union provides to employers and employees. Unions exist to make life better for employees, but they also provide benefits to employers. Had it not been for unions, there would not be your typical 40 hour work week, an established minimum wage, or even overtime wages. Unions may seem outdated now, but they did serve their purpose when they were formed and for many years thereafter. Works Cited Ashcroft, John D. and Janet E. Ashcroft. Law for Business, Seventeenth Edition. South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011. Harding, Jeff. â€Å"Why Unions Are Bad for the Economy. † 22 July 2011 The Daily Capitalist. Jaggers, James (current member of Local Sprinkler Fitters Union 669). Interview with Wendy McKamie 26 September 2011.

Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War

Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War The Battle of Cerro Gordo was fought April 18, 1847, during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). Armies Commanders United States Major General Winfield Scott8,500 men Mexico General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna12,000 men Background Though Major General Zachary Taylor had won a string of victories at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterrey, President James K. Polk elected to shift the focus of American efforts in Mexico to Veracruz. Though this was largely due to Polks concerns about Taylors political ambitions, it was also supported by reports that an advance against Mexico City from the north would be impractical. As a result, a new force was organized under Major General Winfield Scott and directed to capture the key port city of Veracruz. Landing on March 9, 1847, Scotts army advanced on the city and captured it after a twenty-day siege. Establishing a major base at Veracruz, Scott began making preparations to advance inland before yellow fever season arrived. From Veracruz, Scott had two options for pressing west towards the Mexican capital. The first, the National Highway, had been followed by Hernn Cortà ©s in 1519, while the latter ran to the south through Orizaba. As the National Highway was in better condition, Scott elected to follow that route through Jalapa, Perote, and Puebla. Lacking sufficient transportation, he decided to send his army forward by divisions with that of Brigadier General David Twiggs in the lead. As Scott began leaving the coast, Mexican forces were gathering under the leadership of General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. Though recently defeated by Taylor at Buena Vista, Santa Anna retained immense political clout and popular support. Marching east in early April, Santa Anna hoped to defeat Scott and use the victory to make himself dictator of Mexico. Santa Annas Plan Correctly anticipating Scotts line of advance, Santa Anna decided to make his stand at a pass near Cerro Gordo. Here the National Highway was dominated by hills and his right flank would be protected by the Rio del Plan. Standing around a thousand feet high, the hill of Cerro Gordo (also known as El Telegrafo) dominated the landscape and dropped to the river on the Mexican right. Approximately a mile in front of Cerro Gordo was a lower elevation which presented three steep cliffs to the east. A strong position in its own right, Santa Anna emplaced artillery atop the cliffs. To the north of Cerro Gordo was the lower hill of La Atalaya and beyond that the terrain was laced with ravines and chaparral which Santa Anna believed was impassable (Map). The Americans Arrive Having assembled around 12,000 men, some which were parolees from Veracruz, Santa Anna felt confident that he had created strong position on Cerro Gordo which would not be easily taken. Entering the village of Plan del Rio on April 11, Twiggs chased off a troop of Mexican lancers and soon learned that Santa Annas army was occupying the nearby hills. Halting, Twiggs awaited the arrival of Major General Robert Pattersons Volunteer Division which marched in the next day. Though Patterson held a higher rank, he was ill and allowed Twiggs to begin planning an attack on the heights. Intending to launch the assault on April 14, he ordered his engineers to scout the ground. Moving out on April 13, Lieutenants W.H.T. Brooks and P.G.T. Beauregard successfully used a small path to reach the summit of La Atalaya in the Mexican rear. Realizing that the path could allow the Americans to flank the Mexican position, Beauregard reported their findings to Twiggs. Despite this information, Twiggs decided to prepare a frontal attack against the three Mexican batteries on the cliffs using Brigadier General Gideon Pillows brigade. Concerned about the possible high casualties of such a move and the fact that the bulk of the army had not arrived, Beauregard expressed his opinions to Patterson. As a result of their conversation, Patterson removed himself from the sick list and assumed command on the night April 13. Having done so, he ordered the next days assault postponed. On April 14, Scott arrived at Plan del Rio with additional troops and took charge of operations. A Stunning Victory Assessing the situation, Scott decided on sending the bulk of the army around the Mexican flank, while conducting a demonstration against the heights. As Beauregard had taken ill, additional scouting of the flanking route was conducted by Captain Robert E. Lee from Scotts staff. Confirming the feasibility of using the path, Lee scouted further and was nearly captured. Reporting his findings, Scott sent construction parties to widen the path which was dubbed the Trail. Ready to advance on April 17, he directed Twiggs division, consisting of brigades led by Colonels William Harney and Bennet Riley, to move over the trail and occupy La Atalaya. Upon reaching the hill, they were to bivouac and be ready to attack the next morning. To support the effort, Scott attached Brigadier General James Shields brigade to Twiggs command. Advancing onto La Atalaya, Twiggs men were attacked by Mexicans from Cerro Gordo. Counterattacking, part of Twiggs command advanced too far and came under heavy fire from the main Mexican lines before falling back. During the night, Scott issued orders that Twiggs should work west through heavy woods and cut the National Highway in the Mexican rear. This would be supported by an attack against the batteries by Pillow. Dragging a 24-pdr cannon to the top of the hill during the night, Harneys men renewed the battle on the morning of April 18 and assaulted the Mexican positions on Cerro Gordo. Carrying the enemy works, they forced the Mexicans to flee from the heights. To the east, Pillow began moving against the batteries. Though Beauregard had recommended a simple demonstration, Scott ordered Pillow to attack once he heard firing from Twiggs effort against Cerro Gordo. Protesting his mission, Pillow soon worsened the situation by arguing with Lieutenant Zealous Tower who had scouted the approach route. Insisting on a different path, Pillow exposed his command to artillery fire for much of the march to the attack point. With his troops taking a battering, he next began to berate his regimental commanders before leaving the field with a minor arm wound. A failure on many levels, the ineffectiveness of Pillows attack had little influence on the battle as Twiggs had succeeded in turning Mexican position. Distracted by the battle for Cerro Gordo, Twiggs only sent Shields brigade to sever the National Highway to the west, while Rileys men moved around the west side of Cerro Gordo. Marching through thick woods and un-scouted ground, Shields men emerged from the trees around the time that Cerro Gordo was falling to Harney. Possessing only 300 volunteers, Shields was turned back by 2,000 Mexican cavalry and five guns. Despite this, the arrival of American troops in the Mexican rear sparked a panic among Santa Annas men. An attack by Rileys brigade on Shields left reinforced this fear and led to a collapse of the Mexican position near the village of Cerro Gordo. Though forced back, Shields men held the road and complicated the Mexican retreat. Aftermath With his army in complete flight, Santa Anna escaped the battlefield on foot and headed for Orizaba. In the fighting at Cerro Gordo, Scotts army sustained 63 killed and 367 wounded, while the Mexicans lost 436 killed, 764 wounded, around 3,000 captured, and 40 guns. Stunned by the ease and completeness of the victory, Scott elected to parole the enemy prisoners as he lacked the resources to provide for them. While the army paused, Patterson was dispatched to pursue the Mexicans retreating towards Jalapa. Resuming the advance, Scotts campaign would culminate with the capture of Mexico City in September after further victories at Contreras, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec. Selected Sources PBS: Battle of Cerro GordoThe Aztec Club of 1847US Grant Memoirs: Battle of Cerro Gordo

Accomplishment Report

Commercial property valuation requires a more complex method, taking into account the income potential of the property, historical revenue, cash flow with owner perks removed and much more. b. Residential Properties type of property is by far the most popular with both new and experienced agents. Real estate agents then further specialize in types of homes, including condominiums, separate homes, duplexes, high value homes, vacations homes, etc. c. Industrial Land situated in areas that are exclusively reserved and used for industrial purpose. 2. Land Improvement 3. Chattel is a term in the world which refers to personal property which can be moved; it is also known as movable property. Some examples of chattel include jewelry, cars, and furniture. Some people just call chattel â€Å"personal property,† differentiating it from things like real estate with the term â€Å"immovable property. † Assessors also look at building value under the cost analysis method, but only in terms of how much it cost to construct them. The corporation determines, at the outset of incorporating, how many shares it shall issue and what classes of shares (No Par, Par, Common, Preferred, Participating, tc. ) it will issue. Valuation Procedures 1. Cost Approach – valuation method is based on the principle that no prudent purchaser will pay more than what it cost him to acquire an equally desirable substitute site and to build a similar improvement of equal desirability and utility. 2. Income Approach – based on the principle that value tends to be set by the present worth of the right to future net benefits that may be derived from ownership. Important Document that an Appraiser should be able to look and verify: a. Sales invoice b. Letter of credit c. Deed of assignment CHAPTER 11 SHARES OF STOCKS AS COLLATERAL Capital stock has to do with all the shares of stock that represent the ownership of a given company. The exact number of shares that can be issued in the way of capital stock is normally recorded in the current balance sheet for a company. Capital stock will involve all types or classes of stock that the company is authorized to issue. The basis for issuing capital stock is normally outlined in the charter of the corporation. Common stock is stock in a company which comes with voting rights and an opportunity to share in the profits of the company. This type of stock is commonly issued by companies’ making offerings of stock and is a popular choice for people interested in buying and selling stocks. Prices for common stock vary depending on market pressures. Stock exchanges offer opportunities for people to buy, sell, and trade common stock with each other and with brokers. This type of stock should be contrasted with preferred stock, another type of stock which works slightly differently. Preferred stock offers several advantages over common stock. The first advantage is a fixed dividend, which generates more reliable returns than common stock; although it also means that the stockholder can miss out when large profits are made because the dividend will not be adjusted. Preferred stock, also known as non-participating preferred stock, is a type of stock that pays the investor a specific dividend only. In addition, in the event of a bankruptcy, preferred stockholders are ahead of holders of common stock, as are creditors, lien holders, and so forth. There are some advantages to holding common stock. Voting rights can be important because they allow people to vote on members of the board of directors, policy, and stock splits, which gives them a role in the governance of the company. Convertible preferred stock is a type of preferred stock that has the option of being converted into common shares issued by the same company. One of the less commonly employed approaches of issuing shares of stock. Participating preferred stock dividends are usually a fixed percentage of the par value of the stock. Participating preferred stock owners usually do not have any voting rights at stockholder meetings. Owners of common stock do have voting rights Cumulative participating preferred stock can accrue dividends that will be paid to the investor once the company’s performance improves. In finance, par value is the least amount that a share of stock can be sold for, according to the terms and conditions that are found in the regulations of the issuing company. CHAPTER 12 LAND AS COLLATERAL Collateral is borrowing funds often requires the designation of collateral on the part of the recipient of the loan. Collateral is simply assets that have been pledged by the recipient as security on the value of the loan. In the event that circumstances make it impossible for the recipient to repay the loan, ownership of the collateral is transferred to the entity that issued the loan in order to settle the debt. Function of Land it provides â€Å"standing room†. In spite of the fact man has learned to fly, and to dive under the surface of the water in submersible ships, we are still bound pretty close to the surface of the earth. Modes of acquiring title: . Public grant – acquisition of public land of homestead patent, sales patent and miscellaneous patent. 2. Private grant – voluntary transfer or conveyances as deed of sale, donation, exchange or assignment. 3. Involuntary grant – acquisition against consent of former owner, such as foreclosure or sale. 4. Inheritance – acceptance of hereditary succession. 5. Reclamation – filling of submerged land subj ect to government regulation and existing laws. 6. Accretion – more lands adjoining banks or rivers due to gradual deposit of soil. 7. Prescription – title by actual, open continuous and uninterrupted possession for a period of time under claim of title. Zonal valuation Different approaches to valuation of properties have been introduced in this country. In the case of land, not only it its price dictated by the interplay of supply and demand but moreover by the concept of zonal valuation instituted by the government. Government agencies like the Office of the Register of Deeds under the Department of Justice. IMPORTANT FACTORS IN OWNERSHIPPEACE AND ORDER The prevailing peace and order affects the value of the land. Today, a number of areas in the country are infested by the presence of bandits and other lawless elements like the NPAs for instance. They are known to have been exacting be so-called â€Å"revolutionary tax† on business establishment in such areas. Such deplorable conditions inhibit buyers from any interest. In buying such land or even in locating their business establishments. CHAPTER13 COLLECTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Collections are a part of a process in the accounts receivable or billing department. It means that, at some point in time, a company xtended to another company or an individual credit terms for goods or services, or a cash loan advance of some kind that was to be paid or repaid at a certain time. If that bill is not paid when it is due, or within an agreed upon grace period, the collection process begins. Collection procedures usually consist of a set of in-house company policies that are written in a manual or guidebook of some kind, though smaller compan ies may not have a manual. Usually, law firms that engage in collection practices will have manuals and training classes for their employees before they make their first collection call to a debtor. Most of the time, large corporations and small companies have a collection manager or collection department that will go through certain housekeeping procedures before an unpaid debt is turned over to a lawyer. Laws and Regulations The laws that cover collection policies and procedures are mandated by federal and state governments. On the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission regulates what is called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). In the case of a conflict between state and federal law, federal law prevails. Those who extend credit to others should be aware of the legal rules about how to collect money that is past due, particularly as those rules apply to bankruptcy. A collection policy is a set of business practices and procedures that outline the way a company goes about collecting money owed to it as a result of an extension of credit. Companies often allow their best business customers to establish payment terms that give the customer an extended amount of time, such as 30, 60 or 90 days, to pay an outstanding invoice. Other companies extend credit to individual consumers and implement a collection policy to control the process of obtaining payment on the credit account. Credit extensions allow individual consumers to obtain needed merchandise upfront but pay for purchase over time. In the case of business-to-business transactions, the extension of credit is carried on the supplier’s book under accounts receivable. Extensions of consumer credit are typically carried on the books under a separate consumer credit category that is also a type of receivable. Accounts receivable is a company’s list of outstanding extensions of credit to customers. The company’s collection policy establishes how the accounts receivable or collections department should go about reminding customers that payments are due and how the department should handle delinquent accounts or accounts that are not paid as agreed. Types of Bad Debt Buyers Also known as junk debt buyers, bad debt buyers are firms that purchase unpaid debts from different types of creditors at rates that are below the actual face value of the debts, and then attempt to collect the full amount plus interest and penalties from the debtor. Bad debt buyers sometimes specialize on securing and collecting specific types of debt, including credit card debt, business debt, or loan debt. Credit card bad debt buyers are one of the more common types of junk debt buyers. Here, the buyer purchases old credit card accounts with outstanding balances that the originator was unable to collect. CHAPTER 14 BANKRUPTCY Bankruptcy is the process where a person legally declares himself or his business unable to pay outstanding debts. Depending upon the type filed, one meets with a judge to determine a payment schedule, or have a legal bankruptcy discharge most if not all debts. Businesses also may declare bankruptcy, which either means the business will close, or that the business will continue to operate with reduced payments to debtors It depends on what type the person intends to file, and also how quickly he or she can gather together information about his or her income and debts. Bankruptcy is the most common proceeding, and it is usually filed when a person doesn’t have a large number of assets that he or she needs to protect. Financial distress may also occur due to unforeseen factors that have an adverse effect on the different revenue streams that the corporation enjoys. The bankruptcy action may be necessary to protect the business from creditors while the company is reorganized under the direction of the courts, allowing the corporation to at least have a chance of getting back on a firm financial foundation. Liquidation maybe partial or complete, depending on the amount of debt involved. With a partial liquidation, the business sells off assets, including divisions of the business that are not needed for the continued operation of the core businesses. A complete liquidation means the selling of all assets and the eventual dismantling of the company as a business entity. Insolvency is the inability of a person to meet his obligations as they mature (Equity sense). It refers to the excess of liabilities, in the case of corporation, excluding capital stock over assets. (Bankruptcy sense) Two types of Insolvency Voluntary Insolvency Under voluntary insolvency, an insolvent debtor, owing debts exceeding in amount the sum of P1,000. 00 may apply to be discharged from his debts and liabilities by filing a petition with the Court of First Instance of the province or city which is the domicile of the petitioner for six months preceding the petition. He shall moreover annex to his petition a schedule and inventory in the form as prescribed under the Declaration of Insolvency Upon receipt of such petition, together with the schedule and inventory, the court or the judge thereof in vacation, shall make an order declaring the petitioner insolvent. Involuntary Insolvency an adjudication of insolvency may be made on the petition of three or more creditors, residents of the Philippines, whose credits or demands accrued in the Philippines, and the amount of which credits or demands are in the aggregate of not less than one thousand pesos. Provided, that none of the said creditors has become a creditor by assignment, however made, within 30 days prior to the filing of said petition. The following shall be considered acts of insolvency, and the petition for insolvency shall set forth one or more of such acts: 1. That such person is about to depart or has departed from the Philippines, with intend to defraud his creditors; 2. That being absent from the Philippines, with intend to defraud his creditors, he remains absent; 3. That he conceals himself to avoid the service if legal process for the purpose of hindering or delaying or defrauding his creditors. 4. That he conceals, or removing, any of his property to avoid its being attached or taken in legal process; 5. That he has suffered his property to remain under attachment or legal process for 3 days for the purpose of hindering or delaying or defrauding his creditors; 6. That he has confessed or offered to allow judgment in favor of any creditor or claimant for the purpose of hindering or delaying or defrauding his creditors or claimant; 7. That he is willfully suffered judgment to be taken against him by default purpose of hindering or delaying or defrauding his creditors or claimant; 8. . That he has suffered or procured his property to be taken on legal process with the intent to give a preference to one or more of his creditors and thereby hinder, delay or defraud any of his creditor; 9. That he has made any assignment, gift, sale, conveyance, or transfer of his estate, property, rights, or credits for purpose of hindering or delaying or defrauding his creditors or claimant; 10. That he has, in contemplation of insolvency, made any payment, gift, grant, sale, conveyance, or transfer of his estate, property, rights, or credits; 11. That being a merchant or tradesman has generally defaulted in the payment of his current obligations for period of 30 days; 12. That for a period of 30 says he has failed after demand, to pay any money deposited with him or received by him in a fiduciary capacity; and 13. That an execution having been issued against him on final judgment for money, he shall have been found to be without sufficient property to execution to satisfy the judgment.

Spss statistical analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Spss statistical analysis - Term Paper Example The quality of a lecture is measured on the ordinal scale from 1 to 100. The t-test is used for repeated measurements (Field 2009). There are two pairs of no aids-few aids and few aids-many aids and the paired t-test is performed on both of them. With the significant values of 0.006 and 0.000, both are smaller the cut off value of 0.05 the paired t-test showed that two all samples can be considered to have identical mean. In addition, lecture with few visual aids and many visual aids demonstrated significant correlation. The paired t-test revealed that there is no significant difference in the mean value of lecture quality depending on the amount of visual aids. It indicated that for all three cases an identical mean can be considered. The post hoc Tukey HSD indicates significant difference between groups of people training 6 and 12 weeks and between 6 weeks and 24 weeks. The 12 and 24 weeks groups did not show significant differences. The between-subject variable is the main sport of the participant which is defined in the first column. There are many ways to perform analysis of sport related statistical data (Williams & Wragg, 2004). This dataset contains two possible sport disciplines represented in this dataset. Independent samples test is an adequate research tool for this

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Essay

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer - Essay Example the help of two cohort studies, two case control studies, one cross sectional study, and one clinically randomized study.Before that, we should at least know the different modes of hormone replacement therapy. Unopposed estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) was the treatment in 1960s and 1970s (Kennedy, D.L. et al, 1985). Now, the favored prescribing practice is combination HRT (CHRT), that is, adding a progesterone to the entire monthly cycle either as continuous combined replacement therapy (CCRT) or a part of the cycle as sequential estrogen plus progestin therapy (SEPRT) (Ross K. R. et al, 2000). The studies designed by Gapstur, Morrow, and Sellers and Feigelson, Jonas, Teras, Thun, and Calle, are two prospective cohort studies that have been analyzed by the present investigator. These studies attempted to refute the association of HRT and breast cancer, and failure to refute this concept strengthened confidence in it. In both these studies, they identified the participants who do not yet have disease but were on HRT. These groups in both these studies were observed over time to determine the frequency of new incidence of disease in these populations. These studies had been designed in such a way that these would provide the best results as opposed to the case control studies. The case control studies on the other hand use patients who already have disease or suspected to have breast cancer, and these studies that have been analyzed here look back to study the difference from those who have proven absence of the disease. The case control studies that have been used are those designed by Evis Sala, Ruth Warren, Jenny McCann, Stephen Duffy,... Evis Sala, Ruth Warren, Jenny McCann, Stephen Duffy, Robert Luben, and Nicholas Day, High-Risk Mammographic Parenchymal Patterns, Hormone Replacement Therapy And Other Risk Factors: A Case-Control Study, Int. J. Epidemiol., Aug 2000; 29: 629 - 636. Lorne J. Hofseth, Ahmed M. Raafat, Janet R. Osuch, Dorothy R. Pathak, Carol A. Slomski, and Sandra Z. Haslam, Hormone Replacement Therapy with Estrogen or Estrogen plus Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Is Associated with Increased Epithelial Proliferation in the Normal Postmenopausal Breast, J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., Dec 1999; 84: 4559 - 4565.

Protestants funeral customs Essay Example for Free

Protestants funeral customs Essay A Protestant is a member of any of the several church denominations that denied the universal authority of the Pope and supporting the reformation principles which believed in justification by faith, universal priesthood of believers, and the supremacy of the bible as the basic and the guidelines for the Christian journey in life. They emerge around 16th century and strongly support evangelism. All these are in opposition to the Roman Catholics doctrine. Protestant funerals take different forms. Some believe in the act of burial while some believe in cremation. Family involvements, denomination, circumstances surrounding such death are factors affecting the form of funeral that the family will embark upon. Most times the whole process is design by the pastors in conjunction with the family. Most protestant clergy don’t follow a particular book of worship during the funeral. The Corpse is usually prepared before the final event. This serves as a mark of passage from life to death and the mode of preparing a corpse by protestant is usually by embalmment. After embalming the corpse, the clothes and the body are usually washed. The clothes worn on the corpse has no restriction on the type or the shape. The time and removal of the deceased varies, depending on the family and the day of removal is not also restricted by the church. The clergy must be notified as soon as possible because courtesy mandated the quick notification. The role of the clergyman is very in important in the final passage and burial. The functions of the clergy are to visit the family, friends so as to discuss with them and also gather more information about the deceased. The plan and the request of the family in regards to what they want and how they want the funerals to be done must be discussed during such clergy visits. Casket is another important aspect, this is because what each family want differ and there’s no restriction on the type. The caskets can either be open or closed and most times it is usually closed before the concluding aspect of the funeral. When the deceased is placed in the casket there are some protestant that allows visit to sides of the casket by the friends and other family members to pay a last respect to the deceased. Among the respects include the sending of gifts and flowers to indicate their feeling towards the deceased. The sermon and the final funerals either in the church or other place as required by the family usually involve preaching of the sermon that focus mainly on the meaning of death and Christian view of resurrection. The message can also talk about the life, achievement and lessons from the deceased. The sermon can then be followed by prayers and songs before the burial or cremation. The funeral cortege usually also depend on the family but most cortege is as follows, escort, followed by the clergy, then the casket bearers, casket coach, family of deceased and finally the friends. The final aspect is the Committal service and it is also determine by most family or the clergy. The order of services is as follows, procession to the graveyard, placement of the caskets in the grave by the bearers and the use of sand by the clergy and the children, lastly the benediction and dismissal. Cremation is an act of burning the corpse of the deceased and it is usually carried out by the Greeks and the roman in an open pyre. Protestant with the belief that God can resurrect easily a bowl of ashes support cremation but their participation involve the building of modern crematoriums.

The Theme Of Death In Mid-Term Break And The Early Purges Essay

The Theme Of Death In Mid-Term Break And The Early Purges The Irish poet Seamus Heaney is renowned for evoking his very personal experiences and feelings throughout his poetry. He frequently calls upon those experiences from his childhood to support his adult feelings over given topics and circumstances. The two poems Mid-Term Break and Early Purges both present two very personal experiences of Heaney's surrounding his juvenile experiences of death. Both poems combine a variation of techniques in miscellaneous manners to present such views. Mid-Term Break concerns itself with Heaney's remorse and suffering over his brother, an unjustified death over which he had no control. Early Purges, alternatively, concerns itself with an inability of Heaney to use such command to prevent an unnecessary death. The titles of both poems are very symbolical to what the poem is all about. 'Mid-Term Break' The word 'break' implies Heaney's break from school, and also the break in his brother's life. 'The Early Purges' The word 'Purge' means to empty, cleanse, purify, and getting rid of unpleasant things (in this poem, the unpleasant things are the kittens). Heaney's use of assonance in the opening lines of Mid-Term Break echoes the ominous noises around him. "Counting bells knelling to a close" The use of the word "knelling" advocates an immediate sense that something is wrong, since a knell is the bell rung at funerals. The repetition of the "ell" sound is almost as if the bells are chiming out. In Early Purges, however, Heaney focuses especially on using alliteration to indicate the atmosphere around him.... ...poem. Heaney finds it difficult to cope with such a loss so young, and thus detaches himself to make things easier. By contrast, in Early Purges, Heaney's attitude changes through the poem, losing his innocence verse by verse. In the final stanza's this is shown. "It makes sense:" Why does it? It is as if Heaney has been conditioned to accept death of 'pests'. The end of the poem is also very effective. Heaney shows contrast between urban and rural views of death. 'Purging' is justified as the animals are referred to as 'pests'. In both poems, Heaney loses something very intimate to him. In Mid-Term Break, Heaney loses his younger brother, in the same way as in Early Purges, he loses his innocence. Mid-Term break is a very emotional and depressing poem whereas Early Purges is very cruel and harsh.

Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer

How would you like to see a fourteen point buck in your crossaires with a body of a sick dog? Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is destroying deer in the United States. Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Shiras Moose, and Rocky Mountain Elk are the only four susceptible to CWD. Once pronounced with Chronic Waste Disease there is no going back. Chronic Wasting Disease in Mule deer ( Odocolleus Hemronus), For more than thirty years, has been a clinical syndrome. The origin of CWD is not known, and because of this, the truth about how CWD aose may neve be identified.The government and science studies do know CDW is a transmissible spongiform Encepholopathy (TSE) of Cervids. Cervids is another way to say hoofed mammals. From 1967 to 2002 CWD spread across the U. S and even entered New Mexico. In 2002 the 1st International CWD symposium was brought together. Held in Denver, Colorado the meeting had a variety of professions attend. Wildlife biologist, pathologists, veterinarians, university scientists . Natural resource administrators, and the press met to discuss CWD.The group tied to figure out a way to test Cervids, but no inexpensive solution was concluded. The symposium also concluded that this would effect hunters perception toward the game. There are many clinical signs to show if a cervid is infected with CWD. The biggest is loss of body condition. Cervids are very bony looking. They show a wide stance, and subtle ataxia (incoordination). They are in the stage of somnolence (sleep/drowsy), and carry their heads lowered. The food consumption lowers dramatically, which leads to poor body condition.The time period of death is anywhere from a couple days to a year, but most commonly a few weeks to several months. If a person spots a Cervid with these symptoms the person is to report it to the DNR. Today there is no cure or treatment for Cervids with Chronic Wasting Disease. The situation is problematic, and scientists are trying to find a way to prevent CWD. Many tests are co mbined, surveillance being the largest, to try and find the most affected areas with CWD. To this point there is no answer to eliminating CWD.The positive side is since 1970 to the present there is no concluding evidence of human effects from CWD. Across the United States there are stations located in many cities to test Cervids for CWD if found by a Person. This goes about the long-fetched destination to stop CWD. The DNR is trying to crack down on CWD and find the highly concentrated areas. The finish line may be out of sight, but the constant track to the end will stay stable. Once pronounced with Chronic Wasting Disease there is no going back.This disease has scientists stumped to where it was originated. Cervids affected with CWD only have a few weeks to months to live, and the cure is off sight at this point. If CWD turns for the worse in the future it could extremely effect one of the biggest American games, hunting. With all the organizations and assemblies helping to try an d figure out a concluding cure to the disease, they are hoping to try and stop CWD in the near future, but at this point that near future is looking far-fetched.

Customer service contributes to customer satisfaction Essay

Introduction: In this Assignment I want to describe how consistent and reliable customer service contributes to customer satisfaction, explain why presentation, interpersonal and communication skills are important to customer service. And I will also anticipate and meet the needs of at least three different customers in a range of situations. Task 1 In this task I should describe how consistent and reliable customer service contributes to customer satisfaction. The national consumer council believes that smart businesses should ensure that the same member of staff deals with an individual customer from the beginning to the end what means if you welcome a customer you should try to deal with the customer and help the customer till the customer wants to go or dos not need your help anymore or till he buy something. Whilst this is the ideal, it isn’t always possible. Therefore, most organisations provide special training to staff to ensure that each person has the same approach with external customer. This is likely to focus on the following aspects of the job. * Scope of job role – You should know what you can do and what you can not do as part of your job and the type of issues you must refer to a supervisor. This should not stop you using your initiative to resolve a straightforward problem quickly, for example if you have nothing to do you should use your own initiative to look for something to do till a customer comes or if a customer has a problem by not finding what he wants to buy you can ask them if they need your help and if you can help them you should help by explaining where they can get it from and you should take care that you do not overstep the limits of your job role by making arrangement or promises that is outside your authority. * Type and quality of product or service – That means you should know the range of goods or services that are available, if you are selling consumable items, such as chocolates. Anyone who sells expensive items or complex services should also be able to give good advice on the best buys or most reliable suppliers, based on their own knowledge, feedback from other costumers and press reports. * Accessibility/Availability – There is nothing more irritating for customers that to want something and then find they are not available. This can relate to a product they have seen advertised but which has now sold out for example if you have an appointment with someone who cannot see you for some time or a room in a hotel which is fully booked. In this situation your job is to sympathise with the customer’s disappointment; try to help them if you can and pass on the information to your employer. This is important. If you have received many enquiries for the same thing in a day and disappointed most people, the stock levels for this product should be reviewed. * Staff attitude and behaviour – The importance of all staff having a consistently positive attitude and behaving courteously and professionally to customers cannot be underestimated. This means if your staffs have good attitude and behaviour the customers will feel comfortable and free to talk to the staff and it also makes customers feel valued and respected. * Timing – Approaching people at the wrong time, or if they are stressed, upset or busy can get a bad response. If you do this by accident, simply apologise and say you will contact them later. Being aware of your timing also means not keeping people waiting unduly; arranging appointments, phone calls and deliveries at your customers convenience, not yours; and never failing to call people back exactly as you promised. By this way you appear reliable to the customers. * Meeting specific customer needs – The skills of meeting customer needs involves identifying these by talking to the customer, and then matching them to the range of goods and services that you can offer. Most customers are pleased with this aspect of customer service because it gives them a sense of importance. Task 2 In this task I should explain why presentation, interpersonal and communication skills are important to customer service. Presentation skills – These skills relate to me as a person. What do other people see as I approach? Do I attract them or alarm them? This has nothing to do with good looks but everything to do with a welcoming smile, appropriate clothes and a smart appearance. Presentation skills include: * Body language; Body language is one of the presentations skills. Body language is a term of communication using body movements. One of the basic body language signal is when a person is crossing his arms across the chest this can mean that the person is putting up a barrier between himself and others but it can also mean that a the person is expressing opposition this is specially so, if the person is leaning away from the speaker. But crossing his arms across the chest can also mean that the person is deeply thinking about something. You can show someone that you are interested in what he is telling you if you keep eye contact. * Another presentations skill is also the dress code which means if you work in an office you have to wear a dress or if you are working somewhere else where they have their own uniform you must wear their uniform and it has to be clean. Many people will consider it impolite if your dress is too far above the dress code. Too far means if you are working for example in ASDA and you are wearing a coat to work, many customers will not know that you are one of the staffs. But if you are working in an environment where they don’t have to wear any uniform, then you must have a good sense to dress properly. * Facial expression is also a presentation skill; facial expression is a result from one or more motions of the muscles of the face. This movement convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. Expressions are closely tied to emotion. It can be nearly impossible to avoid expressions for certain emotions because if you see someone that you think he or she is highly unattractive you might show a brief expression of disgust before you will be able to reassume a neutral expression and if you don’t have this skill it may be hard for you to work in an environment with different customers or other staff members. Interpersonal skills are how people relate to one another, in other words it means how you behave when you are dealing with other people. Having positive interpersonal skills increase the productivity in a business. Interpersonal skills include: * First impression; your interpersonal skills are on show from the moment you greet a customer to the time you say goodbye and if your first impression to a customer is good the customer might come again. * Behaviour – This is what you do and why you do it in other words it is the actions or reactions from you, for example if you are a positive person, you will normally behave in a cheerful and friendly way to other peoples. * Attitude – Your attitude is the way you think. For example if you are depressed you will be negative, if you are fed up then you will be bored and if you are happy you will be friendly to other people. Communication skills – communication is a process whereby information is imparted by a sender to a receiver in other words you need to speak to you customer as well and how you do this is important. If you are communicating with a customer you must look after your * Your speech – this means that you should speak loud and clearly because if you are speaking too quietly or miss the endings of words, then the customer might have problems to understand you. * Your language – this means that you should use appropriate language for your customer because it is not appropriate to use slangs and jargons since the customer will not understand what you are talking about. * The pitch of your voice – this means that you should take care of how you sound. For example if you have to talk to a group of people you should raise your head and speak more loudly and clearly but without shouting. And you should know how to pitch your voice to hold the interests of your customer because if you sound monotone the customer will soon lose the interest. Task 3 In this task I should anticipate and meet the needs of at least three different customers in a range of situations. * Accessibility for disable peoples for example those with wheelchairs. The business makes their stores accessible for wheelchair user by having big signs that are clear and easy to read, a ramp as an alternative to steps, the doors should also be wide and easy to open and the widths are allowing wheelchairs and the height of counter areas and shelves also allows wheelchairs. The business should also have toilets that meet the needs of wheelchair users. And the staff should also take time to help peoples in wheelchairs if they need help. * Health and safety – The business makes their store healthy and safe by making sure that all selling environments are assassed for risk so that any hazards are minimised, it means, the business must keep the workplace clean, they must make sure that their floors, steps, stairs, passages and gangways are properly maintained and it is kept from any obstruction and any substance likely to cause a person to slip and fall. If you, as a staff member, see something that can affect the health and safety in the business then you should do something about it before something happened, for example if you see something on the floor that can make someone fall then you should take the thing away from the floor or if the floor is wet you should put a sign there that the floor is wet so that no one can fall. * Email – The business makes sure that they have a email account so that they can send emails to customers and others. If you send a email you should make sure that you chose the right message style and layout and that you follow the recommended business format. And the email should also be written in a courteous and tactful way and also the wording should be appropriate for the situation. But it will be useful if for example you want to send an email to a customer you should mark the email as high priority if it will be important for the customer. And for you as a staff member you should have the skills to send an email which means that you should be a able to apply the appropriate customer service an to make sure that you chose a good tone and degree of formality depending upon the person and your reason for writing and it is important that the business mails should comply with organisational rules and recognised standards.

Research Methods Essay

Research Methods Essay Research Methods Essay Research Question, Due 2-11 @ 5:00 pm Your assignment is a one paragraph description of a research question. The intent of the assignment is to get you thinking about an idea for your research proposal, and to allow me to provide some feedback on your research question. However, you are not required to use the research question from this assignment for your proposal, i.e., you are allowed to change your idea. The research question must address a causal relationship, i.e, at a minimum, the causal relationship between two variables. Helpful Hints: 1. DO NOT READ JOURNAL ARTICLES TO CREATE YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION- LET YOUR CURIOSITY GUIDE YOU. 2. Do not make the research question too ‘grand’. There are many ways to make the research question too grand, for example: a. Asking research questions about a dependent variable for which there are many potential independent variables. Asking if the implementation of a mandatory attendance policy at Virginia Tech would improve grade point averages is a reasonable research question. However, there are so many causal determinants of GPA that it is very difficult to design a study that isolates the causal effect of a class attendance policy on GPA. b. Asking research questions where the answer unfolds over a long period of time. Asking if an intervention to prevent binge drinking is effective over the course of a year is a reasonable question. However, such a question requires a strategy for repeatedly sampling the subjects at different points in time, which raises a ho st of

Cross-Cultural Training to Management in Organizations Research Paper

Cross-Cultural Training to Management in Organizations - Research Paper Example The need to interact with people of different cultures and understand their behaviour has become a critical aspect of international management. Let us take the example of a Hungarian employee’s encounter with an Austrian supervisor (Fink et al., 2007). The disgruntled employee complained of the â€Å"manner† in which his female Austrian supervisor delegated him work (Fink et al., 2007). According to the employee, there was absolutely no problem with the very work that was assigned; however, the supervisor failed to address her employee in an appropriate manner which offended him (Fink et al., 2007). Such, apparently trivial, instances of conflict between the manager and employee are a commonplace today. However, that does not make them insignificant. Paradoxically, such issues are not easy to understand; the cultural dimensions need to be accurately defined along a particular scale against which the behaviour can be measured. In order to overcome these shortcomings, the â€Å"cultural standard method† was introduced by Leung et al., which identifies and examines the differences in perception, understanding, thinking and judging across a multitude of cultures (Fink & Meierewert, 2001). There are, in general, three approaches to understanding the notion of cross-culturalism: cultural dimensions, personality traits and the cultural standard method (Fink et al., 2007). However, the last one is limited to Central Europe, particularly Germany and Austria (Fink et al., 2007). The differentiation within the social system lies in the discrepancy between the â€Å"normal behaviour† and that behaviour which deviates from normal behaviour.

Zara Fashion Retailer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Zara Fashion Retailer - Assignment Example The paper "Zara Fashion Retailer Assignment" analyzes the success of Zara company. Zara’s success is mainly the result of their supply chain innovation, which means that unlike their competitors who often have to forecast the season’s fashion trends, and then wait another five months to sell them, Zara can deliver new styles and fashions in three to six weeks. This supply chain innovation was essential as the industry was prone to risks in mismatches of supply and demand, and this would result in disruption, longer waiting times and smaller margins of error (Kleindorfer 2004). To negate these effects Zara produces 50% of its products in-house, instead of outsourcing all manufacturing and production related processes. This has largely been made possible by Zara’s background, as Zara started life as a manufacturer. When Zara, as a manufacturer decided to compete in the retail sector, they became a retailer with manufacturing capacity (AI 2004). Instead of getting r id of this capacity, Zara identified this as an opportunity. This capacity also means that Zara is in possession of 18 manufacturing plants that are responsible for producing their fashion garments (AI 2004). Whilst other retailers are outsourcing to Asia and the Far East, Zara has integrated their manufacturing and retail aspects to minimise the uncertainties associated with long lead times, and predicting fashion trends months in advance. By outsourcing to outside the European continent or their home countries, Zara’s competitors.'s competitors are also introducing delays and errors in their business, as incorrect fashion predictions, could result in a massive loss of profits through dozens of unsold clothing. Clothing also needs to be stored, and as their competitors store large quantities, they have to store them in warehouses which add additional costs on the organisation. The risks of storing clothes in warehouses were recently highlighted by two separate cases in the m edia. In one case, fire gutted a warehouse used to store clothing for Primark and other retailers, and in another separate case, the European Union (EU) had placed quotas on clothing coming from China, which is were most retailers had outsourced their manufacturing and production. This resulted in significant delays and costs to these organisations, as they had to rectify a situation which could have been avoided. Zara also owns its own design and distribution teams that cover all the segments of retailing, further reducing any time delays with teams located in different locations, and it also ensures that their design and distribution quality is maintained as it is operated by people who understand the strategy and principles of Zara. Zara have managed to mass produce clothing with relatively higher levels of customisation than what normal mass production techniques would allow, but this is due to their smaller stock levels and the fact that they change their style on a frequent ba sis. This supply chain innovation seeks to eradicate the expenses and losses associated with mismatching demand and supply (Kleindorfer et al 2004). The current market demands that an organisation is able to deliver the goods and/or services as and when the customer demands. It is no longer acceptable for fashion retailers to delay trends for longer periods, so that they can get rid of existing stock. The stock sold at lower prices then represents a loss, as it would have taken up storage space further impeding on capacity. Customers also like to differentiate themselves and their own

How important is it for today's managers to have a good understanding Essay

How important is it for today's managers to have a good understanding of cultural diversity in the workplace - Essay Example The need for recruiting able and established staff is very much there since every organization or company for that matter wants to achieve efficiency and effectiveness when it comes to getting the things done in a quick manner. [Cooper, 2004] There are instances when employees have been known to prolong things just because they do not feel to be in the mood to do so. This is a definitive statement on the part of the employees that they were recruited wrongly at the time of their hiring and the organization did indeed make a mistake in choosing such a worker over other options that were available to it around the world. One sees that the top line personnel present in offices delegate jobs and assignments to their sub-ordinates without even thinking that the same might not be the correct manner and mode of action as to go about carrying out the tasks and responsibilities. They think that delegation would prosper a sense of getting more work within the sub-ordinates who themselves are pretty much occupied with their already assigned tasks and jobs. This is hence not the correct manner in which things should be done and hence a need has to be chalked out to ramify the very same problem. The best possible diversity that could be made in this regard is to appoint top line managers who understand the psyche of the people working under him or her or on the same level as his so that he or she can get a grasp as to what employees usually are best suited at and what they do not prefer under certain strenuous conditions in the office place environment. As a consequence, being able to do more work is definitel y considered a plus and an added advantage for an employee but this should not, under any level, exceed his or her capabilities and skill sets. He or she must be assigned the amount of work which is proportionate with his or her pay, already set working conditions and more so the skills on the basis of which he or she was selected in the first place. [Sims,

The United Kingdom, Manchester, A Boeing 737-236 Crashes Assignment

The United Kingdom, Manchester, A Boeing 737-236 Crashes - Assignment Example This was 9 seconds later. The commanders reported that the acceleration of the left engine was acceptable. This was seconded by the first officer who thought it was better than the previous day. The auto-throttle was selected and the engines achieved the required take-off. The controller then confirmed the fire with the air traffic control and warned the crew on an evacuation that was to be done through the right side of the aircraft. The aircraft was then brought to a stop at the entrance to the link delta (Gero, 2011). Investigations showed that the accident was caused by failure of the left engine which was brought about by failure that occurred at combustor 9 which had been the subject of a repair. The fire developed as a result of adverse orientation of the parked aircraft relatively to the wind though the wind was not strong. The main cause of the accident was recorded to be caused by the ignorance that was done to the thud and the accelerator that was ignored to be working. The pilots and the 4 cabin crew reported to take the flight at 0500hrs on Thursday August 1985. The flight was scheduled to take off at 0600hrs. The pilots and the commander who was a training captain completed their preflight preparation and the crew was also briefed on the duties they were to undertake before they boarded the aircraft. The external check was carried out by the commander while the co-pilot carried out pre-flight check on the flight deck (Gero, 2011). Documents of the aircraft were examined and an entry was made on the previous day’s technical problem that related to reduction in acceleration of the left engine. There had been no problems reported on the two flights and the commanders signed the acceptance of the aircraft in the technical log. Starting the engines was done by the co-pilot and there were no problems that were observed during the start (Gero, 2011). The cabin crew carried out their roles through

Analysis of Brand Management Strategy for Shoe Company

Analysis of Brand Management Strategy for Shoe Company Chapter 1: Introduction 1. Introduction This dissertation is comprised of brand evolution and sum various steps involved to construct it. The creation and importance of Brand Awareness, Brand Image, and Brand Loyalty is discussed followed by the evaluation of Servis Sales Corporation as how successful Brand they are in Shoe industry of Pakistan. Servis Sales Corporation claims to be the largest retail shoe sellers of Pakistan therefore research is held on the company as what are the various marketing strategies SSC adopted to gain such a large market share. Steps to create brand loyalty amongst their target market and implementing effective brand management are part of this research. Branding is the main ingredient in the process of creating stable reputation, identity and strong image of a company and is always a first requirement to have competitive edge, this create awareness and work as a positive gesture towards customers to be product or brand loyal. As the Chairman of Quaker Oats Ltd, John Stuart said, if this business were to be split up, I would be glad to take the brands, trademark and goodwill and you could have it all the bricks and mortar and I would fare better than you . Leslie De Chernatony(2001 p1) In this era of globalization every company wishes to grow and expand their businesses in order to attain a healthy position in throat cutting world of business . In this effort companies faces many challenges and went through many challenges by their rivals and most of all providing customer’s satisfaction. 1.1 Background Study: The term brand arrived form the ancient Norse word meaning â€Å"to burn† Rita Clifton, John Simmons, Sameena Ahmad (2004 ;13). The original term was developed to signify the source or maker or owner of a product or item. Now a days brand is used to identify service or product’s manufacturer or seller, when we go through we see that many of the many modern concepts of brands and branding were formalised in the United States at a Procter Gamble company in the late 1800s. We get a good example of importance of brand when we talk about â€Å"Virgin† which is currently at the face of hundred business strategies. A brand will be a strong brand if people’s values match the values of brand. Branding’s means adding value to the product Marieke K de Mooij (2005: 96) Brand stands for a reputation, you are always reputed when you are always reputed when you make a promise and fulfil it. Brand is more like a human nature not just a visual, public identity or a picture. Every single who is part of the organization represents the brand of the company and pay its part to construct it. The brand is a performance measured and recorded in interaction of every area involves customers investors, employees business partners and media (www.thebrandconsultancy.com) Its quite clear that every company is conscious about its brand loyalty amongst its customers because they know this if they are successful in managing the brand loyalty of their existing customers which is company’s strategic asset it will automatically add huge value to firm. As Douglas B states that Brand Loyalty is the customer’s willingness to stay with brand when competitor come knocking with offering that would be considered equally attractive had not to the customer and brand shared a history. The degree of customer stickiness is the key to the brand’s market power. Douglas B. Holt (2004 ; p 149) Merlo (2003) mentions that the brand loyalty is rewarded by an increase in profit through repeat business, referral sales, decreased customer maintenance costs and reduced exposure to price competition. When we talk about creating and enhancing brand loyalty we see that there are not-too complex ways of increasing brand loyalty. Companies can learn to recover from mistakes. A good recovery can turn angry, frustrated customers into a loyal ones. â€Å"Companies must handle problems and complaints with Care- Communicate, Acknowledgement, respect and regard and empathy†(Merlo, 2003) 1.2 Statement of Problem: Global challenges today have forced companies not to have their business image within their home land but to spread their identity across the borders by managing brand, securing the product or a service of companies and building loyalty among customers to achieve maximum and lasting competitive edge. The aim of the research is to evaluate the brand management of Servis Sales Corporation by analyzing their marketing strategies. Research covers the analysis that how successful SSC today is in gaining brand loyalty as it is considered to be the biggest footwear seller in Pakistan. 1.3 Aim and Objectives: The main Objective of the research is the finding that to what level SSC is successful in imperialising Brand Management to embrace positive effect on their customer’s perception and has given SSC a competitive edge, as they are Pakistan’s largest shoe company. Core Objectives of Research: To analyze marketing strategies of Servis Shoes Company leading to effective brand management giving SSC a positive brand image amongst their target market. To observe various strategies adapted by SSC to enhance brand loyalty amongst their customers? To find out what steps Servis Shoes Company took to create its Brand awareness amongst it’s target market and what are the areas they still need to focus upon. To identify the involvement of consumers to the brand as in why they prefer a particular brand (Servis) on every other different brands available in the market. 1.4 Report Structure: This report will be organized as follows: Literature Review: The literature review of this report covers understanding and benefit of effective brand management that how people connect to them. Chapter includes importance of creating and enhancing awareness among consumers followed by the concepts and historical perspective of brand loyalty giving a wider view of the perception about brand loyalty and its strategic values. Company Introduction: This chapter consist of the brief introduction to Servis Sales Corporation, giving a wider view of their leading position in shoe line in Pakistan amongst their rivals. This chapter shows company background and demographics with the facts and figures about their expanded business nationwide. Research Methodology: In this chapter different method of research is discussed. It also focuses on research philosophy principle, quantitative and qualitative analysis and secondary and primary data. After studying the methods and techniques different methods are identified which is most suitable to get the reliable and most accurate data? Which is used in research? Finding and Analysis After completing the research, the data gathered through different sources from the company are analysed in this chapter, which is explained with chart and then it is moderated with the findings. Conclusion: This chapter involves conclusion and the result in the light of findings with literature. Analysis of research finding and result are discussed, Recommendation to company and further research is also the part of this chapter. Literature Review Scott Galloway stated a very good definition showing importance of brands in today’s world of marketing that â€Å"Brand is the face of a business strategy† ( Scott Galloway in Alker, 2000 :33) another well appreciated definition of brand given by American Marketing Association cited in (Kotler 2003: 418) â€Å" A brand is name, term, sign, symbol, or services of one seller or a group of seller to differentiate them from those of competitors†. A brand is essentially a marketer’s promise to deliver a specific set of features, benefits and services consistently to buyers. The marketer must think that he is offering a contract to the customer about how the brand will perform ( kotler 2003) Le Pla et ala, (2003: 3) give a more profound and in depth definition of brand: Brand is the interaction between core company ( product or service ) strengths and what is customer value . Company strengths are what company does well. The things that the customers value include the benefits of a products features, as well as what the customer see as the ongoing worth of a relationship with the company. According to Kapferer (1997 : 56), â€Å"Products are mute: the brand is what gives them a meaning and purpose, telling us how a product should be read. A brand is both a prism and a magnifying glass through which products can be decoded†. Renault invites us to perceive its models as cars for living’.. brands guide our perception of products†. Hence it can clearly be seen from the above paragraph that branding goes a long way in giving a distinct identity to a product. Rowley (1997) explains that brand communicates with consumers, according too him when consumers are familiar with a brand, they expect the same qualities, benefits and advantages from products or services which are provided under that specific brand, this easily makes their decision in favour of the brand instead of searching or gathering information regarding products fulfilling their requirements. Therefore, it can be suggested that brand accelerates consumers’ process of decision making as it provides two different ways of communication between suppliers and their consumers (Rowley, 1997) Effective Brand Management The concept of â€Å"brand management† was developed at Procter Gamble in the US in the year 1930 and is also knows as product management .Ambler (2003:82). The main reason behind Brand management is to secure the product’s future and services any company or organization, and this is only possible with the formulation loyalty amongst customers creating emotional as well as rational values. This results sales in market place and stimulating affect on the perception of a company’s products .If brand power is tied together in a proper way organization can easily maximize market share and corporate profitability. Brands if handled and managed sensibly can provide their owners a considerable benefits and rewards. Davis (2002 :6) says that the following benefits accure to the company that manages is brands effectively: Loyalty derives repeat business- A recent study by Bob Pasikoff, president of brand keys, shows that an increase in customer loyalty of only 5% can lift lifetime profit per customer by as much as 100%. Premiums price of brand allow higher margins – Starbucks represents the ultimate example of a strong brand driving a premium price resulting in greater profit. Strong Brands lend immediate credibility to new one in product introductions. A well established brands can provide instant credibility for a new product. Gillette’s Marc 3 became number one personal shaver within a month of its launch. Strong brand allow for greater shareholder and stakeholder returns. One can see a good example is Yahoo and GE are big brands with even bigger shareholder returns. Strong Brand embody a clear, valued, and sustainable point of differentiation relative to competition – No one can FedEx’s claim of overnight delivery. Loyal customer base and strong brand make customer forgiving for the the mistakes made by the company, if a company makes a mistake for instance, the strike at the Saturn car plant had little impact on Saturn’s loyalty or sales. The lever for attracting best employees along with keeping satisfied customers is Brand Strength – Companies like coca-cola, Microsoft, Intel, Disney etc. are almost always in the top bracket of survey which measures employee satisfaction. It is obvious that it’s a difficult thing to build and maintain a brand reputation like Coke, Microsoft, Nike, General Electric, etc and as David D’ Alessandro, President of John Hancock Mutual Life insurance, in Klein (2000: 145), â€Å"it can take 100 years too build up a good brand and 30 days to knock it down†. Effect of Brand on People ( How People connect to them) Scott Davis( 2002) says that, Brands are at least in part a set of promises made to consumer. The leading brand travel a particular PATH in the human mind. This PATH is an acronym for promise, acceptance, trust and hope. Certainly this PATH is intangible and cannot be co modified†. But he then mentions that these very intangibles make a customer choose Sony over JVC and Nike over Reebok. The following are the customers perceptions vis-à  -vis a strong brand (Davis, 2002) 72% of customer sat that they will pay a 20% premium for their brand of choice, relative to the closest competitive brand. 25% of customer state that price matter if they are buying a brand that owns their loyalty. Over 50% of purchases are brand driven. Peer recommendation influences almost 30% of all purchases made today. More than 50% of consumers believe a strong brand allows for more successful new product introductions and they are more willing to try a new product from a preferred brand because of the implied endorsement. The view of Le Pla et al, (2002 ; 3) is that a strong brand is much more than an image or a logo. People emotionally identify with a strong brand and relationship with such a brand makes them feel more secure and comfortable. This is completely in sync with Kotler’s ( 2003) example of a consumer buying a Mercedes because the car ( which is also a strong brand) makes him feel more important and admired’. Aaker (1991) suggests that anything which a consumer realises about a brand can be defined as brand association it according to him it create positive consumer attitudes towards brands, thus influence consumer buying decision process. Kapferer (1997) says that brand is like a living memory. The memory factor explains why individuals preferences endure and why within a given generation people continue to prefer the brands they liked between the ages of seven and eighteen ( Guest 1964, Fry et al., 1973, Jacoby et al., 1978 in Kapferer 1997). This is proof, if it was ever needed, that strong brands do have a long-term effect on people. It is imperative now to take a more focussed look on the three constructs that constitute the basis of this study. The first to be analysed will be brand awareness followed by brand loyalty and brand image. Brand Awareness a number of the definition if the term â€Å" Brand Awareness† abound, a fundamental definition of the term is given by Aaker(1991: 61) â€Å" Brand Awareness is the ability of a potential buyer to recognize or recall that a brand is a member of certain product category†. David Aaker’s (1991) ground braking work â€Å"managing brand equity† details with the concept of brand awareness comprehensively. Hence, it has been use here as a main reference, although it has been complimented with other readings. Aaker says that brand awareness involves a link between the product class and the brand. For example, the use of the large balloon with the word Levi’s on it may make the name more salient, but it will not may necessarily help improve brand awareness. However if the balloon is shaped to resemble a pair of Levi’s 301 jeans , the link to the product is provided, the balloon’s effectiveness at creating awareness is enhanced. Aaker (1991). By using the brand, perceiving it and being confronted with it through advertising, consumers learn about its meanings. All this information is connected associatively to the brand name. the richer this associative network is, and the stronger the associations the greater the chance of consumers thinking. Levels of Brand Awareness â€Å"Brand Awareness involves the continuum ranging from an uncertain feeling that the brand is recognised, to a belief that it is the only one in the product class. This continuum is presented in the ‘ Awareness Pyramids’’’ ( Aaker 19991 : 62) Levels of Brand Awareness ( Aaker, 1991) Aaker stated that â€Å"the minimal level of brand is recognition which is based upon aided recall test where respondents are given a set of brand in a product category and asked to identify those that they had heard of before. Thus, although there needs to be link between the brand and the product class, it needs not to be strong. Brand Recognition is particularly important when a buyer chooses a brand at the point of purchases† (Aaker 1991 ;62). Franzen et al, ( 2001) stated that the situations in which none of the choice alternatives is well represented in or memory, brand familiarity ( recognition) will be the determinant in the choice process. The purchases in which consumers regularly choose and re-choose because of the awareness stored in his memory, aided brand awareness i.e. brand recognition has hardly any significance. If we see further we see that brand recall is the further level dependent on asking a person to name brand in a product class. This is â€Å"Unaided recall† because , unlike in the recognition task, the responded is not aided by having names provide. Unaided recall is a substantially more difficult task then recognition, and is associated with a stronger brand position. The first named brand in an unaided recall task has achieved top-of-mind awareness. (Aaker 1991) Strategic Value of Brand Awareness Brand Awareness provides a sustainable competitive advantage and can be a key strategic asset for the company ( Aaker 1998) The following are the banifits of creating a higher brand awareness ( Aaker 1991: 63) ( Figure 3); Anchor to which other association can be attached : Brand Recognition is the first basic step in the communication task. It usually is wasteful to attempt to communicate brand attributes until a name is established with which to associate the attributes. Familiarity/Liking: Awareness provides the brand with fimilarity and people like the familiar. They are prepared to ascribe all sorts of good attitudes to items that are familiar to them ( Aaker et al., 2000). Especially for low involvement products like soap, chewing gum, sugar , facial tissues etc., familiarity can some times drive the buying decision. Substance/ Commitment: Name awareness can be a signal of presence, commitment and substance, an attribute very important to consumer buyers of durables. The logic is that if a name is recognised, there must be a reason like: The firm is widely distributed. The firm has advertised extensively. The brand is successful-others use it. Even if the person has not been exposed to advertising and knows little about, brand awareness could lead to the assumptions that the firm is substantial and backs the brand with advertising. Brands to consider: The role of brand recall (discussed earlier) is crucial for frequently purchased products like coffee, detergent, serials et. Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between top of mind recall and attitude/purchase behaviour. One such study, of six brands in the three product classes (Fast food, Soda and banking), showed large differences in preferences and purchase likely hood, depending on weather the brand was first, second or third mentioned in an unaided recall task (Woodside and Wilson, 1985 in Aaker, 1991). Sometimes it is possible that people recall brands that they dislike strongly. Benefits of Brand Awareness (Aaker 1991) A number of researchers besides Aaker have also demonstrated that brand awareness is a particularly important concept relative to brand evaluation in predicting and explaining consumer choice behaviour. For instance, Arch G (1996 :38) refered to Axelrod (1968 , 1986) demonstrated that top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) of a brand is a sensitive and stable measure than can serve as an intermediate criterion for predicting brand-choice behaviour and brand-switching behaviour. Axelrod (1968) in Aech G(1996 ; 38) emphasized the needs for developing valid and reliable intermediate survey indicators of whether marketing and advertising influence product and brand choice behaviour because of the greater expense and time necessary for experiments to measure the impact of marketing and advertising actions on such behaviour. Haley et al, (1979 in Holden et al., 1992) postulated that brand awareness is more important than attitude. This nation was supported by Hauser (1978 in Holden et al ., 1992) who, using an information theoretic approach, reported that the probability of inclusion of the brand in the evoke ( recalled ) set accounts for more variation in brand choice thus brand attitude (Holden et al., 1992) Similar to Aaker ( 1991), Holden et al, (1992) also say that in the case of low involvement purchase, Brand recall may be reason enough to buy the brand ( that has been recalled Also a high degree of brand awareness is linked to higher sales due to the factor of â€Å" Social desirability† . Most people tend to behave according to the expectations of their social environment, even when it goes against their own opinion. If they are aware of the brand, they will have a tendency to buy it because it is the socially desirably thing to do ( Franzen et al., 2001). Copeland (1923: 287) talked about the benefits of brand awareness as follows â€Å" if the consumer’s previous acquaintance with the brand has been favourable, or if the manufacturer’s and dealer’s advertising has made favourable impression, other things being equal, the recognised brand will be selected from among other unrecognised brands†. Creating and Enhancing Brand Awareness Because consumers are bombarded everyday by more and more marketing messages, the challenge of creating awareness is considerable ( Aaker, 1996). The best approach for every brand to create and maintain brand awareness depends upon the context but the following do server as good points ( Aaker, 1991: 72) ; Be Different, Memorable: An Awareness message should provide a reason to be noticed and it should be memorable. There are many tacks that work but one key is to simply be different and unusual. Involve a slogan or jingle: A Slogan or a Jingle can make a big difference. Slogans like â€Å" it floats† or â€Å"Just do it† can help recall. For a product class like soap, it might be easier to come up with â€Å" it floats† and then Ivory, rather than to name Ivory directly. The link to the slogan might be stronger because it involves a product characterstic that can be visualised. Similarly, a jingle also is vey powerful awareness device. Symbol exposure: A symbol can play a major role in creating and maintaining awareness because it involves a visual image which is much easier to learn and to recall than a word or a phrase. Event Sponsorship: The primary role of most event sponsorship is to crate or maintain awareness. For example, the Benson and Hedges Cricket world cup, the Mercedes super 9- tennis tournament etc. It must be noted that the strongest brand are managed not for strategic awareness. It is one thing to be remembered ; it is quite another to be remembered for the right reason ( Aaker, 1996). Brand Loyalty Every company’s endeavour is to increase its brand loyalty in order to retain as many consumers as possible and it can be well assumed when we see that in 2000, the NDP Group, an international market research company in New York, conducted a survey that half of 20,000 respondents who described themselves as loyal to a company one year were no longer loyal the next. According to Frederic Rechheld, founder of Boston-based consulting firm Bain and Company, the average American company loses half of its customers every five years The next economy  By Elliott Ettenberg, NetLibrary, Inc (2001 ;34) The Brand Loyalty concept from Historical Perspective Contrary to what some people believe brand loyalty has existed for a long time in the realm of marketing. Copeland (1923) first introduced this concept around 80 years ago. He talks about three ascending stages of brand loyalty-consumer reorganisation ( when the product is recognised and bought from among a host of unrecognised products), consumer preference ( when pervious use or advertising has created a favourable preference in the consumer’s mind) and consumer insistence. The third stage is the pinnacle of brand loyalty where the consumer approaches the purchase of an article with the attitude that he will accept no substitute ( Copeland, 1923). Different Perceptions of Brand Loyalty â€Å" Brand Loyalty is the biased behavioural response expressed over time by some decision making unit with respect to one or more alternative brands out of a set of such brands†. More recently, the concept of loyalty have evolved further, encompassing a rich diversity of dimensions underlying the relationship that a customer may entertain with a brand. Martin et al.,(2004:217) referred Oliver’s statement in his book â€Å"Loyalty involves a favourable attitude towards the brand or organisation and positive re-purchase intentions. This can be further understood by investigating the element of loyalty. Cognitive Loyalty, in which the brand is cognitively compared with alternatives ( generally on functional grounds); Affective loyalty, in which the customer likes the brand or organisation as a result of previous satisfying experiences; Conative Loyalty, which reflects an intention to re-purchase; action loyalty, which relates to a deeply held commitment to rebuy or repatronise a preferred product/services consistently in future†¦ despite situational influences and marketing effort having the potential to cause switching behaviour’ ( Oliver 1999 cited in Martin et al.,(2004:217) In (2001) Chaudhuri and Holbroo stated couple of characteristic of brand loyalty â€Å"purchase loyalty and attitudinal loyalty mentioned by mentioned by Marion Maguire(2007), â€Å"Behavioural, or purchase loyalty consist of repeated purchase of the brand, whereas attitudinal brand loyalty includes a degree to the authors, purchase loyalty leads to greater market share because of higher levels of repeat purchase among their users†. It is found in the research that consumer’s perception about price of brands is not linked to brand loyalty. Another suggestion given by Dick and Basu (1994) says that â€Å"loyalty related marketing advantages, such as favourable word of mouth, which, in turn might increase market share†. But the findings of Dall’Olmo Riley et al. (1997) discerned that the attitudinal loyalty of many individual consumers appears to be fickle, According to them, various studies (by Achenbaum, 1982 repeat responses ranging about 50% in individual attitudinal answers (e.g. Taste Nice†) at two subsequent times, independent of the attitude scales used and from the length of the interval between interviews. Overall their interpretation was that specific attitudinal beliefs do not seem to be very strongly held but vary stochastically ( in random manner) (Dall’Olmo Riley et al., 1997) Rothschild (1987) at the university of Wisconsin, evaluated brand loyalty as encompassing only the behavioural aspect. He suggests that a psychological process that may explain brand loyalty is the one of behaviourism. The central concept of behavioural learning theory is that behaviour that is positively reinforced is likely to reoccur while that which is not reinforced, or punished, will be extinguished. Consumers become loyal to brands that are reinforcing to them: good decision are reinforces while poor decisions are not ( Rothschild, 1987). Dekimpe et al, (1997) also share Rothschild’s (1987) view and say that the approach is justified as behaviour is observable and hence easier to measure. Richard Elliott and Larry Precy quoted Franzen (1999) saying that loyalty brand users have a high degree of bonding with the brand and do not show much of an urge to switch. Its basically the bonding here meant was part of brand equity but it necessarily doesn’t need to be a function of brand equity. also if its contribution is there. Loyalty of a brand may be not habitual or it can be the high cost of switching to another brand. But when there is a genuine preferences involved it really contribute to brad equity. Quester et al, (2003) say that the behavioural approach to Brand Loyalty (taken by Rothschild, 1987 ; Dekimpe et al., 1997) many present an over simplistic view of the construct. Behavioural definitions are insufficient to explain how and why brand loyalty is developed and modified in consumers ( Dick and Basu, 1994 in Quester et al., 2003). Repeatedly buying a brand (behavioural approach) may reflect only the convenience inherent in the repetitive and habitual behaviour rather than any real commitment to the brand purchased (Quester et al., 2003). Habituals’ as termed by (Knox 1997) in Quester and Lim., 2003) display only behavipural loyalty and are very likely to switch brands if there routine purchases cycle is disturbed. â€Å"For ‘habituals’ and /or spurious loyals’. The brand is not closely tied to the consumers belief system, so they can be easily attracted by a competing brand that offers a better deal, a coupon etc. Behavioural definitions, therefore, essentially fail to distinguish between habitual or spurious loyalty and true ( or international) loyalty and it may be misleading to infer brand loyalty from merely overt purchase behaviour† (Quester et al.,2003 : 27). Fournier et al, (1997) have analysed the concept of brand loyalty in new light and have come up with some very interesting insight regarding the same. According to them, (1997) a major assumption while reaching the concept of Brand Loyalty is that loyalty process is a Black and white quality. This tendency towards dichotomy not only precludes attention to loyalty levels and type, but also blinds the researcher to the value that may exist in relationship classified as Disloyal ( Fournier et al. 1997) The research of eight brand loyal coffee drinkers by Fournier et al, (1997) revealed three intriguing loyal consumer-brand relationships namely martial commitment, falling in love consumers brand relationships namely martial commitment, falling in love and best friendship. Each of the above relationships share a strong and meaningful life theme connection that adds significant value in the consumer’s mind. On the other side, Fournier et al ., (1997) also found some rather piquant Non-Loyal Relationships. One of the interviewees shared meaningful relationships with not one, rather three coffee brands. Financial limitations prevented him from bonding exclusively to one brand. â€Å"By connecting at the level of kinship, a portfolio of brand candidates that at first glance appears as a set of interchangeable substitutes is revealed as a family of meaningful partners in the consumer-brand environment† (Fournier et al., 1997 :463). Fournier at al, (1997) say that the existing brand loyalty measurement process emphasizes share-of-use over the strength and character of brand relationship form. This approach is flawed in their opinion because â€Å"As with people expressions of loyalty need not be associated with exclusivity, but with emotional tenor and sincerity of intentions over time. Also, like normal human relationship, brand loyalty may sour overtime and subsequently change. In accepting the power of both Brand and Consumer to affect the relationship, loyalty is better appreciated as a dynamic phenomenon† (Fournier et al., 1997 :467). A consumer-based conception of loyalty that recognizes multi-brand relationlity and the delicacy of even a strongest of consumer-brand bonds seems more aligned with the realities of today’s variety-filled marketplace. (Firat and Venkatesh, 1995 in Fournier et al., 1997) The biggest criticism of the work of Fournier et al, (1997) is actually acknowledged by their own selves when