Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 6

Marketing plan - Essay Example However, the company was acquired by Asher Budwig in the year 2011, but the brand name of Lola’s cupcakes continued to exist and the parent company decided to continue the business operations with the same vigour and focus on quality and design (Lola’s cupcakes, 2015b). The contemporary issues faced by the company are on the grounds of health issues. The cupcake and bakery industry has faced certain challenges owing to the changing consumer perception towards healthy diets. The rise in obesity rates in UK has made the customers to shift to food items with less sugar content or lower calorific value (BBC, 2014). Since, cupcakes have high quantity of sugar and can be considered to be a source of obesity so they have faced significant health issues. Moreover, from the point of view of the food consumption pattern of the customers it has been found that the customers, who prefer to eat halal, do not eat gelatinous cakes (Lola’s cupcakes, 2015a). Thus in order to target a wider range of customers Lola cupcakes need to offer a new range of products that offer non-gelatinous products. The target market of Lola cakes has been selected be all across London. The company has decided to target the customers based on their demographic and psychographic profile. The product category of bespoke designer cupcakes is targeted at the young population with the age group ranging in between 12-30 years. Based on the pricing of Lola cupcakes, the products are targeted at the middle and upper middle class of the society, which as a result allows the company to target a wide customer base (Lola’s cupcakes, 2015d). However, the narrow product offering also decreases the opportunity of the company to widen the customer base and target customers from several other demographic segments. The bespoke cupcakes are quite popular among the people with a â€Å"sweet tooth†, thus it can be stated that

Commercial Free Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commercial Free Speech - Essay Example Emphasis is placed on the problem of spam on the commercial free speech. The argument in relation to the ethical agreement of commercial spam emphasizes upon the moral standard in terms of the freedom of expression among individuals. Globally the freedom of expression among individuals is protected as a result of the benefits that are associated with the application of freedom of expression. Thus, freedom of expression is an important requisite in a liberal democratic state. The freedom of expression entails commercial forms of expression such as the use of spam (Spinello, 2006). Spam should therefore be protected as a commercial free speech. This is attributed to the fact that if the use of such spams are not protected various contents that can be considered as harmful may be consumed by individuals. This protection will therefore entail various forms of restrictions that will ensure that only credible form of information is consumed by the audience. Various countries such as China and United States have engaged in some form of restriction of spam as a commercial free speech in order to take care of such contents such as pornography (Rooksby, 2007). However, there are enough reasons in relation to the fact that commercial expression should not be protected as a form of free speech among individuals. Commercial expressions in its essence do not promote truth as an essential aspect in free speech or freedom of expression. Furthermore, spams are not known to promote the beliefs or opinions of individuals in the freedom of expression. Thus, the use of spam as a commercial expression should not be protection as it does not promote truth in its expression (Rooksby, 2007). Additionally, citizens of any particular state have a right in regards to freedom of expression. This right to liberty therefore guarantees an individual with a right to

Consumer Behaviour Mobile Marketing Communication Media Essay

Consumer Behaviour Mobile Marketing Communication Media Essay This research, titled; how has new media technologies affected the advertising industry and consumer behavior? Shall focus on new media is and how it has impacted on advertising and consumer behavior. The mass media has always been with us in some form or the other for centuries and over the years technology has evolved to such an extent that the world has virtually shrunk in size before our very eyes, now people can communication with anybody wherever they may be and communication features are embedded in virtually everything produced these days, Game consoles are now internet ready and two people across the world can play the same game together in real time. This research shall look at these technologies and see how they fit into the world of advertising and its implications for the industry and how consumers are reacting to these changes. The research tries to determine how new media technologies have affected the kind of messages created and how people perceive them. I shall make use of Hierarchy of effects theories and technological determinism as the theoretical framework for this research, these theories make some interesting bases for this research. I however want to note that this is a proposal and every concept, theory used in this proposal shall be elaborated upon during the main research and final compilation of findings. Finally, I hope that by the end of this research, I would have made a significant contribution to the field of advertising, business and communications and helped form the basis for more research in this field. INTRODUCTION According to Wikipedia, New media  is a broad term in Media Studies that emerged in the later part of the 20th century to encompass the amalgamation of traditional media such as film, images, music, spoken and written word, with the interactive power of computer and communications technology, computer-enabled consumer devices and most importantly the Internet. New media has also been referred to as technologies of telecommunication and computing, new user devices (e.g., videodisc machines), and their practical applications in office, home, business, health or educational environments. (Williams, Rice, and Rogers, 1988: xi). However for the purpose of this research new media technologies shall be limited to mean any device, instrument or medium through which messages in whatever format can be communicated to mass or limited audience. Virtually everything has an IP address these days, from refrigerators, game consoles even to handheld games like PSPs, Nintendo DS and so on. Today with the emergence of some cutting edge gadgets and accessories everyday life has changed a great deal, people no longer have to leave their houses to get newspapers, buy hard copies of the latest novel from your favorite author, most of them can be downloaded to your Ipad or you kindle or even to your mobile smart phone. This opens up a lot of opportunities for businesses, but poses a problem to advertisers and advertising agencies. Now advertisers are faced with the problem of creating messages that are fast paced and can communicate effectively through the most available and likely most preferred medium the mobile phone and handheld communication devices. Mobile marketing is fast becoming one of the best means of reaching the audience. Anderson supported this claim in his assertion that the effectiveness of traditional, retail, broadcast and other media channels is fast reducing, due to the high level of fragmentation in traditional channels. He went on to say that with the emergence of new media channels other media like, newspaper, magazines, radio and television are rapidly losing their audiences or market (in Becker, 2005) The research shall focus on determining the effect of new media on advertising, taking into consideration the effect these new media are bound to have on the creative aspect of advertising and also the dissemination of the messages. In general there are a lot of books and research on new media technology, but because of the ever changing dynamic world of innovative technology it is important that a research into this field is carried out especially as it is concerned with advertising and consumer behavior. LITERATURE REVIEW Different books and journals shall be sourced and used for this research. The books should give the researcher better insight into progress made in this field and other similar and relevant researches that have been carried out in this field. DEFINITIONS OF NEW MEDIA Lev Manovich (2001:43) defines new media as cultural objects which use digital computer technology for distribution and exhibition. Thus, Internet, Web sites, computer multimedia, computer games, CD-ROMs and DVD, Virtual Reality, and computer-generated special effects all fall under new media. This definition is supported in Webomedia.net which defines new media to mean a generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. This clearly shows that new media is electronic and make use of computer technology. Teemu Leinonen (2011) gave a good illustration of new media and even its characteristics all in a single simple diagram, which he titled holy-trinity-new-media The diagram best describes new media and it is based on this summary by Teemu Leinonen that I would attempt a definition of new media that would serve as its meaning throughout this research. From the various definitions from different scholars, new media are media that combines the features of various electronic media such as internet, computers and traditional media that allows for instant communication and feedback and also gives the user a significant amount of control. DEFINITIONS OF MOBILE MARKETING Different scholars have defined mobile marketing differently, some scholars call it Wireless digital advertising, permission-based mobile advertising, Mobile or wireless advertising, etc the implication is that in most cases these terms are used inter changeably, though they might not necessarily mean the exact same thing when looked in broader and more detailed terms. Barnes (in Bruner II and Kumar, 2002) describes mobile marketing to be a permission-based mobile advertising that is a flexible, tactical medium suitable for short, time-based communication. Bulander et al (2005: 285) describes it simply as advertising that uses mobile terminals as its target platform. Yuan Tsao ( in Jaana Tahtinen, 2006) defines mobile marketing communications as, as a contextualized advertising that makes use of a medium to disseminate customized campaigns targeting users according to where they are, their needs at the moment and the devices they are using. Scharl et al. (2004) define mobile marketing as the use of a wireless medium to provide customers with individualized information about products, services, and ideas at any time and locations, which benefit all stakeholders. In the same vein, according to Advertising age (2006: 20) mobile marketing is defined as the use of wireless media as an integrated content delivery and direct-response vehicle within a cro ss-media marketing communications program. Leppaniemi (2008: 9) gave a very detailed list of what qualifies as mobile advertising or mobile marketing; he suggested five categories which mobile advertising can be classified into; web category which includes mobile internet, Broadcast category, narrow cast category, physical browsing category which includes divergent methods such as touching, pointing and scanning that can be used to distribute information to mobile phones and lastly a category which he labeled other that covers advertising formats that did not fit well into any of the other four categories listed. From these definitions, it is clear that mobile marketing is basically communication of marketing/advertising messages directly to the target audience through mobile devices over Bluetooth, mobile internet or GSM coverage/WIFI. Any kind of advertising that makes use of mobile phones, PDAs, Ipads or any mobile communications device to communicate the message qualifies as Mobile marketing, examples are; proximity marketing, sms marketing/advertising, Bluetooth advertising etc. The researcher therefore wants to find out how this increasingly popular medium is affecting the way advertisers create and communicate their messages and its impact on consumer behavior. CHARACRTERISTICS OF NEW MEDIA From the forgoing; we know new media is electronic, interactive, uses computer technology amongst other things. The researcher however wants to find out the distinguishing features of new media, what makes them unique and why they are called new. Martin Lister, et al (2003:13-27), in their book titled; New Media; a critical introduction, gave the characteristics of new media as; digital, interactive, allows for registrational interactivity which they described to mean the opportunities new media texts affords their users to write back into the text; that is to say to add text by registering their own messages, new media allows for Interactive communications. This is supported by Henry Jenkins (2006), when he asserted that new media, virtually removes the problem of geographical separation, it is Ubiquitous, new media is digital, it is space binding and Distance Insensitivity; new media is personalized implying that these systems can be instructed to customize, individualize information for each user. He went on to say that new media is interactive, it is convergent denoting that formally separated technologies are blending together with a digital common denominator, an example is Intercast; a blend of web pages and TV. From the characteristics of new media suggested by different scholars it is clear that communications technology has evolved and there is now a convergence or overlapping of different media to create new media. The realities of these changes are not farfetched and we experience them every day. Our mobile phones have combined features of calling, texting, typing, photo editing, surfing the internet, video calling, voice sms, social networking, e-book readers, camera, and recording sound, amongst other features. All these features used to be exclusive of one another, but todays technological advancements have seen a convergence in all these media into one media-mobile phone. HISTORY OF NEW MEDIA Media simply means communication channels through which news, entertainment, education, data or promotional messages are disseminated. It includes every broadcast or narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax and internet. If this is true then the media has always been with us for years, centuries even; ancient African kings had town criers and roman empires of old had scribes, they all tried to pass messages to a target audience. Until the 1980s  media  relied primarily upon print and  analog  broadcast  models, such as television  and  radio. And since then it has been one innovation to the next; the internet was invented, computer games were created, books were written and sold without it ever being printed in hard copies; The last twenty-five years have seen the rapid transformation into media which are predicated upon the use of digital computers. Andrea Botero and Teemu Leinonen (2011) in their attempt to create a timeline for the evolution of new media suggested that there has been a convergence of communication and technology since as early as 1844, when the Morses communication innovation used electronic impulses, a key and a special code that sequences the impulses to letters of the alphabet, they trace this evolution from then till recent times when telephones using satellite signals were invented. Manovich (2001) explained the evolution of new media from 1800 when J.M. Jacquard invented a loom which was automatically controlled by punched paper cards, which later inspired Babbage in his work on the Analytical engine used for numerical calculations. He traced the history on to 1839, when Daguerre launched the new reproduction process in Paris. He continued tracing the history to the point when motion picture was invented in the 1890s. then in 1936 the universal Turing machine was invented which was capable of only four operations. Also in the same year Konrad Zuse invented the first working digital computer. In a nutshell Manovich considered the evolution and creation of new media as the meeting or overlapping of Daguerres daguerreotype and Babbagess Analytical Engine, the Lumieres cinematography and Holleriths tabulator-merging into one. From here on, new media became a combination of all this features. Today technology has evolved so much that it is almost impossible to separate everyday activities from them. Virtually everything we do uses some sort of fantastic technology, even switching on the bulb is not as straight forward as it was; it can be made much easier; just clap!!! NEW MEDIA, ADVERTISING AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Consumer behavior in simple terms is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a  product. Certain factors affect all the variables listed in the definition. It is clear that the way we perceive and get information has changed or is changing; people are no longer controlled by the media; now you can record live programs and watch it when you have the time! When, where and how we buy items have changed; virtually anything can be bought online these days. This position is supported by Lauren Maynard (2011) when she asserted that, television experience has changed in the past decade since we no longer into appointment TV; we no longer have to sit down at a specific hour to watch a specific show. She went on to state that, today, two significant behavioral changes in consumers are redefining the entertainment landscape. These changes require television networks and advertisers to evolve rapidly to keep their shows, content, and ad buys relevant to a demanding consumer set. People now consume television via time-shifted DVR, online (legally), online (illegally), mobile device, Internet streaming to TV, and a wide variety of other methods. Viewers now consume multiple forms of media at the same time, such as watching TV on a television while checking Face book on a computer. This is commonly referred to as two-, three- or multi-screen viewing. Because people are changing the way they get information, advertisers need to ensure that they create adverts for different communication platforms that would effectively communicate with the target audience. Technologies are changing consumer behavior, which in turn changes the type of message and medium that would appeal to the consumer, hence forcing advertisers to accept these changes and provide adverts to suit these new needs. Christina Spurgeon (2005: 1), argues that Debate about how new media will impact on advertising in the medium- to long-term future has focused extensively on the new technological capabilities that enable consumers to avoid advertising. the implication for advertisers is that they now have to come up with ways to ensure that their adverts are viewed by the target audience ( it can no longer be taken for granted that everybody watching the 7pm news would see the advert during the news break), Christina (2005) highlighted some ways advertisers are trying to cope with the new media trend, she posited that, Branded content, conversational interaction with consumers are some of the ways advertisers are trying to circumvent the problem of people intentionally not seeing the advert messages because of emergence of technologies that makes this possible. It is clear that in the very near future consumers would control the type of advert messages they are exposed to. In fact Our present technologies already allow consumers to provide information to retailers and manufacturers, voice their preferences, and communicate with other consumers, salespeople, and producers (Pavlou and Stewart 2000). Marketers are able to use the information provided by consumers to segment the market, generate ideas for future products or services, and personalize their advertising messages. Thus ads can therefore be targeted not only to a demographic or psychographic group, but also to a specific individuals wants and needs It is against this backdrop that I have decided to engage in this research. New media has created new ways for consumers to get information and of course this in turn has changed the way adverts are created and how they are communicated to the consumers. It is therefore imperative to determine how new innovative technologies in communication has impacted on advertising in terms of creativity, communication, market/product reach amongst other things and how the media and also the message has affected or changed consumer behavior and to what extent. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK I shall draw ideas and build around the following theories; Lavidge Steiners hierarchy of effects theory Technological determinism. Diffusion of innovations theory Barry and Howard (in Lapointe, 2006) assert that the Hierarchy-of-effects model is created to show the process, or steps, that an advertiser assumes that customers pass through in the actual purchase process. The model is based on seven steps. According to the Pat Lapointe (2006), The Hierarchy of Effects (HOE), was founded upon the assumption of a three-stage process underlying consumer purchase behavior: Cognition à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Affect à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Behavior Lavidge and Steiner (1961) write that the steps have to be completed in a linear way, but a potential purchaser sometimes may move up several steps simultaneously. The steps consumers go through before arriving at a buying decision are: 1. Close to purchasing, but still a long way from the cash register, are those who are merely aware of its existence. 2. Up a step are prospects who know what the product has to offer. 3. Still closer to purchasing are those who have favorable attitudes toward the product; those who like the product. 4. Those whose favorable attitudes have developed to the point of preference over all other possibilities are up still another step. 5. Even closer to purchasing are customers who couple preference with a desire to buy and the conviction that the purchase would be wise. 6. Finally, of course, is the step which translates this attitude into actual purchase. (Lavidge Steiner, 1961, p. 59) In short the stages are; unawareness, awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction, and purchase. Using this theory, the researcher hopes to identify what has changed in consumers buying pattern since the emergence of certain technologies. Technological  determinism  is a  reductionist  theory that presumes that a societys technology drives the development of its social structure and cultural values. The term is believed to have been coined by  Thorstein Veblen, an American sociologist. Winston (in Chandler, 1994) defines it as the idea that the technology is the primary force that controls how individuals and society change. Chandler in an article written for The UK Technology Education Centre posits that Indeed, technological determinism, effectively the opposite of  social determinism, is a theory which points to technology as being  the  force which shapes society. He explained that Technological determinists hold that: Like the weather, technology is autonomous It causes social change By determining how new media has impacted on advertising and consumer behaviour, one can easily relate this theory to this research, since technological determinism focuses on how technology shapes society. Advertising has been a major routine in our life, every day we are bombarded by it; advertising in turn influences our buying patterns or decisions to a large extent. So it is the hope of the researcher to find out how new media has helped shape our society into what it is today. Diffusion research centers on the conditions which increase or decrease the likelihood that a new idea, product, or practice will be adopted by members of a given culture. Diffusion of innovation theory predicts that media as well as interpersonal contacts provide information and influence opinion and judgment. Studying how innovation occurs, E.M. Rogers (1995) argued that it consists of four stages: invention, diffusion (or communication) through the social system, time and consequences. The information flows through networks. The nature of networks and the roles opinion leaders play in them determine the likelihood that the innovation will be adopted. Innovation diffusion research has attempted to explain the variables that influence how and why users adopt a new information medium, such as the Internet. Opinion leaders exert influence on audience behavior via their personal contact, but additional intermediaries called change agents and gatekeepers are also included in the process of diffusion. Five adopter categories are: (1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards. These categories follow a standard deviation-curve, very little innovators adopt the innovation in the beginning (2,5%), early adopters making up for 13,5% a short time later, the early majority 34%, the late majority 34% and after some time finally the laggards make up for 16%. It is on the basis of these great works of very admirable scholars that the researcher as decided to focus his research. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The emergence of new technologies to enhance communication and simple everyday activities has seen an explosion of chatter and communication. Everybody is talking to somebody all of the time. So many gadgets and social networking sites are available and all trying to outshine themselves with some having as many as 500,000,000 (Five Hundred Million) members. This new community or country produced by technology has created a very rare opportunity for advertising and the advertising industry at large. It has however produced another problem for advertisers; now advertisers now have to redefine who their audiences are and how has their demographics changed, advertisers now have to create messages/adverts that communicate effectively through the various media available. Who exactly are our audiences? How best do we communicate with them? Which medium or combination of media should be used? What time should the advert be up? Where are our audiences? These are some of the questions advertisers would be trying to answer for a very long time. It is therefore the aim of this research to discover how the emergence of some unique media has affected advertising and what consumers responses are. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY The findings of this study should help advertisers, scholars and practitioners in the field appreciate some of the innovative revolutionary technologies in the field of advertising and their influence on advertising and the advertising industry and also how they influence consumer behavior. Also it should help marketers and advertisers when planning their marketing campaign and strategies, as they would now have available empirical research to back up their proposals if the campaign would involve new media (which most campaigns would anyway). This research shall draw from the experiences of companies that have used some form of new media; proximity marketing, 3D projection, etc to provide recommendations on how to run an effective campaign new media. From this research, Business owners and advertisers can accurately predict the response of their audiences to their advert message and the medium through which the messages are delivered. This would help them develop messages that would appeal to the audiences and also ensure they communicate same message through the right medium. Finally, it is the hope of the researcher that this research shall serve as appoint of reference for other scholars pursuing research or knowledge in the same or similar field. SCOPE OF STUDY This research shall restrict its definition of new media to mean the following; web based advertising, handheld communication gadgets, 3D projection and Bluetooth proximity marketing. It is the aim of the researcher to categorize new media into sub groups and determine who their target markets are and how individual new innovative medium has affected the advertising industry and consumer behavior. The researcher shall geographically limit his research to the UK and Nigeria as they represent two very different economies, ways of life and general standard of living. METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION The research is aimed at finding out the effect of new media technologies on advertising and consumer behavior. Researcher shall therefore make use of a combination of the qualitative and the quantitative research methods, which shall include in-depth interviews and survey methods. 1,000 (One Thousand) questionnaire would be distributed to people through random selection around Wales and its surroundings, also an online questionnaire would be set up to give the researcher a global perspective of the issues researched. The researcher shall interview distributors and resellers of Bluetooth marketing devices and other new media, critics and professional analyst of some of these new technologies, in UK and Nigeria, also companies that use these technologies for their promotional and marketing activities shall be interviewed to get their opinion on the effectiveness of the medium they use or have used and the effect it has had on their organization as a means of passing across information and advertising. Also a recall test shall be conducted; volunteers shall be exposed to advertising messages on different platforms and their level of recall for each medium is tested and analyzed. This would help give the researcher an insight into which medium is most effective based on how easily people remember adverts viewed or listened to via the medium. In analyzing the findings found during the interviews the researcher has chosen to record the interviews to make it easier to go back and go through them again later on. The findings of the questionnaires distributed shall be analyzed using the frequency distributing table. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research findings would try to answer the following questions; Are new media technologies generally more effective than conventional stand alone media like TV, radio and newspapers? Can new media help increase sales volume? How has these new medium affected the buying pattern of individuals generally? Has it increased consumers awareness and knowledge of what they buy? What are the limiting factors of this medium? What are the advantages of this medium over other conventional media like, TV, Radio and Newspaper? How do we determine whether or not a medium is effective? Who are the target audience of new media and why? AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH The aim of this research is to determine the following: To provide empirical evidence as to the effectiveness of certain new media as advertising and publicity medium To determine the factors and attributes that makes these media effective or not To determine how new media has affected consumer behavior To contribute to knowledge in the field of integrated marketing communications. DEFINITION OF TERMS Below is a list of some terms that frequently occur throughout this dissertation and their definition from the context of this particular research; New Media: the term new media for the purpose of this research shall be restricted to mean any communication medium that uses internet, Bluetooth or new innovations in technology that can effectively communicate with a mass or targeted audience. Advertising: It is a collective term for public announcements designed to promote the sale of specific commodities or services. Advertising is a form of mass selling, employed when the use of direct, person-to-person selling is impractical, impossible, or simply inefficient. It is to be distinguished from other activities intended to persuade the public, such as propaganda, publicity, and public relations. Proximity marketing: Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so. Consumer behavior: it  is the study of when, why, how, and where people do or do not buy a  product. TIMESCALES S/N ACTIVITY COMPLETION PERIOD REMARKS 1 Introductions, chapter one 6 weeks 2 Literature review 3 months 3 Core research: 3 trips to Nigeria to collate data and distribute questionnaires 3-5 months 4 Data collation and interpretation 3 months 5 Chapter 5 3 weeks 6 Cross checking for errors and editing 2 months 7 Binding and submission 1 month 8 Total period for project 15-17 months

Violence Analysis of Rollerball :: essays research papers

Violence Analysis of Rollerball 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the film Rollerball, the ideas of violence will be related to Coakley’s views and theories. Historically violence was an accepted idea and large part of sport. From the blood-sports of ancient Greece to the cock and dog fighting in Folk games, these sports were built around brutal violence and lack of rules until the modernization of sports where violence decreased dramatically and organized rules took over the game. In Rollerball both historical violence as well modern can be evaluated Rollerball although a futuristic sport and society, was based on a combination of rules and some violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the start of the movie there is obvious violence with bodies flying around and medics carrying off the injured, but this was a controlled violence as Coakley describes it as brutal body contact or borderline violence (Coakley 2001). On several occasions the main character Johnathen made references of this control by saying â€Å"don’t fight when you’re supposed to be somewhere else† and even teaching other teammates how to take out a biker in a clean way, comparable to a clean take out in baseball. As the movie progressed I believe this is where the futuristic sport turned into a blood-sport of ancient times. With rule changes or even lack of rules the officials made in the Rollerball playoffs, this mimicked the lack of rules and emphasis of violence in the historical blood-sports (Coakley 2001). These were the characteristics of historical violence described by Coakley: increased violence, bloodshed, lack of rules, and lack of self-control .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Defined as verbal or physical actions grounded in an intent to dominate, control, or do harm to another person, aggression will now be discussed (Coakley 2001). I felt the entire game of Rollerball was played in an aggressive manor. At no time did I witness finesse in the sport, only hitting and taking out players. There were also several verbal references such as: â€Å"drive their jaw into their head†, â€Å"hit the little fellas†, â€Å"bash in their faces†, and â€Å"feelin’ mean†, to name a few. Furthermore, there were aggressive acts outside of the game. For example, Johnathen choking Dapheny and even Johanthen and Swoop wrestling for fun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rollerball also demonstrated deviant behavior as defined by Coakley, specifically deviant overconformity. In the Rollerball semi-finals and finals I felt this was the best example of Coakley’s deviant overconformity. In these two games many players were killed playing Rollerball. Violence Analysis of Rollerball :: essays research papers Violence Analysis of Rollerball 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the film Rollerball, the ideas of violence will be related to Coakley’s views and theories. Historically violence was an accepted idea and large part of sport. From the blood-sports of ancient Greece to the cock and dog fighting in Folk games, these sports were built around brutal violence and lack of rules until the modernization of sports where violence decreased dramatically and organized rules took over the game. In Rollerball both historical violence as well modern can be evaluated Rollerball although a futuristic sport and society, was based on a combination of rules and some violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the start of the movie there is obvious violence with bodies flying around and medics carrying off the injured, but this was a controlled violence as Coakley describes it as brutal body contact or borderline violence (Coakley 2001). On several occasions the main character Johnathen made references of this control by saying â€Å"don’t fight when you’re supposed to be somewhere else† and even teaching other teammates how to take out a biker in a clean way, comparable to a clean take out in baseball. As the movie progressed I believe this is where the futuristic sport turned into a blood-sport of ancient times. With rule changes or even lack of rules the officials made in the Rollerball playoffs, this mimicked the lack of rules and emphasis of violence in the historical blood-sports (Coakley 2001). These were the characteristics of historical violence described by Coakley: increased violence, bloodshed, lack of rules, and lack of self-control .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Defined as verbal or physical actions grounded in an intent to dominate, control, or do harm to another person, aggression will now be discussed (Coakley 2001). I felt the entire game of Rollerball was played in an aggressive manor. At no time did I witness finesse in the sport, only hitting and taking out players. There were also several verbal references such as: â€Å"drive their jaw into their head†, â€Å"hit the little fellas†, â€Å"bash in their faces†, and â€Å"feelin’ mean†, to name a few. Furthermore, there were aggressive acts outside of the game. For example, Johnathen choking Dapheny and even Johanthen and Swoop wrestling for fun.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rollerball also demonstrated deviant behavior as defined by Coakley, specifically deviant overconformity. In the Rollerball semi-finals and finals I felt this was the best example of Coakley’s deviant overconformity. In these two games many players were killed playing Rollerball.

Environmental Analysis of Target Inc.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF TARGET INC. Environmental Analysis of Target Inc. Team B Contemporary Issues in Leadership and Management MM590 October 9, 2006 Abstract Team B conducted an Environmental Analysis and an Industry Analysis of Target Inc. In the Environmental Analysis, competition for customers is always a threat in any business but the success of Target is always looking for new opportunities. The Target Inc. analysis found that competition with the â€Å"big box† stores including the availability of substitute products and threats of new entrants are keys to their success. The analysis of the remote environment found new regulations and shifting demographics influence Target’s success. Falling petroleum prices, confidence in the stock market and families migrating from the city to rural areas were the result of the Industry Analysis. .Our recommendations for overcoming the threats and capitalizing on the opportunities were to increase internet shopping, become move competitive in smaller towns, globalization, and allow the Salvation Army to silicate donations during the holidays. Environmental Analysis of Target Inc. Team B conducted an Environmental Analysis and an Industry Analysis of Target Inc. o identify opportunities and threats that may arise in the near future. In this research paper, the team will evaluate the findings and provide recommendations for responding to the issues and opportunities that Target stores face. Environmental Analysis of Competition An analysis of the competition indicates there is availability of substitute produc es and threats of new competition entering every year. The retail industry provides steady competition among business and within departments of the organization. Target offers a wide variety of products and services, which leads to an immense competition pool. The organization rovides services with photo development, pharmaceutical, prepared food with some locations having chain services, optical, and portrait studio centers. These diverse services provided for the expansion of the competition pool to include non-general retailers. Since retail merchandise is Target’s primary source of profitability, the organization must make proper investments to ensure the quality of these services surpass those of the competition. Quality service in the food preparation department will increase the chances that a customer will pass other fast food companies in order to get the same service at Target. Target competes for the customer’s business in retail merchandise with other discount retailers, department stores, wholesalers, and supermarkets. The competition with other discount retailers is Kmart and Wal-Mart. Each company involved in general retail offers similar products to the customers. Customers can bring a shopping list to include socks, shampoo, DVD player, and holiday decorations to each of the general retailers with confidence that each company will satisfy the customer’s needs. The differences in each business, which determines a customer’s preference is the organization’s reputation. This reputation is developed by personal experiences, and/or by external influences like media and other consumers. A consumer’s life situation is another influence on a customer’s decision on business of choice. Some families find finical benefits in purchasing items found at Target in bulk at wholesaler. A consumer’s location in proximity to businesses is another influential factor. Some of these considerations cannot be altered by a business. Although, Target can offer outstanding service to force the customer’s preference to surpass all other factors in choosing a retailer. According to Kijoo and Kim, â€Å"†¦ store managers need to give their best effort to enhance their customers' perceived satisfaction because satisfied customers have a greater chance of purchasing merchandise† (2006). The retail business relies solely on the customer’s choice in where their money is spent. The best method for retaining customers is to provide them with the products or services they desire. Those businesses, which are successful at customer service, will out perform their competition. The final source of competition involves internal aspects of the company. The competition produces threats to an organization’s retention. In each of the organization in which Target competes in sales, Target also competes in filling similar jobs. All retailers have similar job necessities including cashiers, clerks, receivers, managers, and store managers. According to the article in Human Resources Department Management Report, companies should â€Å"aim to identify the most suitable candidates as well as track trends in applicants and employees, including reasons for departure, rehire possibilities, top performers, and job specifics† (2005). The authors maintain that reduction in turnover can positively affect the profitability of the company. Businesses can operate differently but this does not change the skill requirements for being a leader. Target defines superior leadership performance as the individual who can excel in communicating effectively, managing execution, and demonstrating accountability. Since leadership is not defined by retail experience, Target searches for managers with various experiences including education, military, or public service. As Target is expanding their applicant pool, so is their competition. Once Target recruits strong leaders, retention is significant to the company’s success. Therefore, competition affects Target’s sales growth but also internal growth. Remote and Industry Analysis The analysis of the remote environment found new regulations and a shifting of demographics that influence Target’s success and ability to operate. A corporation that conducts an analysis of the environment must review all available information. This should include, a comparison of one corporation’s information against others in the same industry, and a look at all influences whether they are market related, legally based or social trends that affect the environment. For this analysis, we will focus on Target Corporation, and their main competition (Bateman & Snell, 2004, p. 56). Overall, the retail industry has seen continued strength the last year. This is partially the result of falling petroleum prices, which has led to increased trips to the store, and increase in spending. Adding to the optimism is an increase in confidence in the stock market. Forecasts are for retail sales to continue to increase as they ramp up for the November-December holiday season. In response, the retail industry and Target alike has continued expansion in the e-commerce arena- highly ptimistic that forecasts achieve their estimate of 5% over last year (O’Donnell, 2006, p. 1). Other demographic factors include the continuing trend of families migrating from the city to rural areas, the movement of retirees to western states such as Arizona and Nevada, in addition to the continuation of retirees flooding into Florida. To capitalize on these opportunities, seve ral initiatives have been seen in the industry (PRB, 2006, p. 1). Target has continued a steady yet comprehensive expansion project estimating the addition of 60-65 new stores this next year, with an overall growth rate of 8%. This expansion includes the Super Target stores, which are designed to compete with the Super Wal-Mart, providing grocery as well as retail consumer service (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. 3). Targets advertising costs have increased by $24 Million, double the increase from the previous year. These expenditures are primarily in the newspaper and media circular areas, but Target also increased expenditures on focused advertising campaigns targeting college students as they return to class in the fall (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. 29). This type of advertising has proven fruitful. This is an example of how Target is carving their niche in the market by focusing  on a part of the marketplace that has specific needs (Bateman & Snell, 2004, p. 524). Another contributing factor to the overall increase in budget was the result of a, â€Å"†¦decline in viewer ship of the national networks and the increase in media fragmentation† (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. 11), which has caused a fundamental shift in advertising, utilize more web based services (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. 11). To capitalize on the continued growth of on-line marketing and distribution, Target renewed its agreements with Amazon reiterating their commitment to, â€Å"†¦remain focused on our core strengths of merchandising and design, and while continuing to benefit from Amazon's innovation and expertise† (Target E-Commerce, 2006, p. 1). The article goes on to explain how Targets goal is to provide the ultimate on-line shopping experience to the customer. This methodology helps ensure Target remains a viable competitor in the on-line retail industry. Distinguishing itself from the competition, Target continues to maintain a vibrant image through its promise to ensure its, â€Å"†¦distinctive merchandise provides style, timeliness and quality at â€Å"best in class† prices† (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. 5). As part of this brand recognition initiative, Target continues to build relationships to enhance the shopping experience with industries such as Starbucks and Pizza Hut (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. 5). This is an important part of its effort to distinguish itself from the rest of the retail environment. A study done by Moorehouse in 1984, shows that states that strictly regulate store-opening hours have fewer large stores. In these cases, the consumer pays more for the products in the larger stores, because operating costs are so much higher. This could affect many of the Target stores because it will cost the company more money to operate to give their customers more shopping flexibility, or they have to increase the prices. Target has tremendous growth and profits are high. From the studies, it appears that Target has kept their prices at the same cost, no matter what. Some of these states include many smaller towns that would not survive without the â€Å"big box† stores and welcome companies like Target. Many times even if the cost is higher, the profits are high because of the demand (Tanguay, 519). Globalization is a concept of the international marketplace that influences increased trade, economic interdependence and decreased market barriers primarily due to increased connectivity (Bateman & Snell, 2004, p. 538). Target has been no exception with recent expansion of services in India described â€Å"to perform business functions more productively† (Target Annual Report, 2005, p. ). This global expansion is a direct result of the environment, which fosters global interconnectivity, and more cost- effective operations sourced by major industry, lower labor costs, technology, and an ever-expanding international market. Recommendations Target Corporation has increased advertising dollars to ensure the corporation is targeting custom er’s needs. The increase has done well for the company due to increase in profits over time. The internet-shopping arena is a huge business in the United States. Target’s plan to renew a contract with Amazon was a good decision. This enables customer’s greater flexibility. Many consumers do not like to drive to find the product they need and this helps Target increase profits. One recommendation for the company would to promote more internet shopping in their advertisements. This will especially help with the stores located in certain states where there are stricter regulations on store hours. This helps the consumer in those areas and gives them more flexibility. This will also help the retail chain gain more profits than the competition in those areas. In the smaller towns where companies like Target are considered the â€Å"big box† stores, the company can become more competitive with the local businesses. Many â€Å"mom and pop† stores in smaller communities consider Target a threat because they can offer lower prices on many products. Target should evaluate the markets in these smaller towns to see what the consumers are looking for and at what cost. Globalization has a huge impact on the retail industry. A survey of American organizations shows that in 1996 $100 billion were spent by large organizations on outsourcing contracts. This helps companies like Target build more alliances over seas and reduce costs in technology and labor. This helps the retail chain spend more money on advertising and marketing ventures in the Unites States. Target should continue. On the other hand, the company should look into how many jobs that they are providing here in the US. Consumers like to see major companies consider the welfare of the job economy in the states (Greco, 50). One recommendation is for Target to consider working better with charities. The Target Corporation decided to eliminate any charities soliciting for money inside or outside of their stores. This was a huge headliner when the company stated nationwide that they were not going to allow the Salvation Army (bell ringers) outside of their stores during the holidays. Target’s defense was if they let the Salvation Army in, they would have to let all charities at their store. This created uproar with many consumers. Many customers will no longer shop at Target stores because of this. One of Target’s biggest competitors, Wal-Mart has an advantage because of this. Many of the Target locations are relatively close to the Wal-Mart stores and ecause of the cost proximity Target is losing business. The best decision for Target is to let the Salvation Army back for the holidays. This will increase their profits during that season and may potentially bring back old customers. This does not mean that they have to let all charities at their stores. Allowing this major nonprofit organization will help with the competition tremendously. In summary, Team B found in the analysi s that Target Inc. provides steady competition with the â€Å"big box† stores including the availability of substitute products and threats of new entrants. The analysis of the remote environment found new regulations and shifting demographics that influence Target’s success. Our recommendations for overcoming the threats and capitalizing on the opportunities were to increase internet shopping, become move competitive in smaller towns, globalization, and allow the Salvation Army to silicate donations during the holidays. References Bateman, T. and Snell, S. (2004). Management: The new competitive landscape. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Greco, JoAnn. (1997). Journal of Business Strategy. Outsourcing: The New Partnership†. 18(4), 48-55. Retrieved from the Thomas Gale database on October 4, 2006. Human Resources Department Management Report. (2005). How ‘Closed-Loop Analytics' at Albertsons Reduces Turnover & Saves Millions of Dollars. 5(3), 2-4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database October 6, 2006. Kijoo, K. , and Kim, E. (2006). Suggestions to enhance the cyber store customer’s satisfaction. Journal of American Ac ademy of Business. 9(1), 233 – 240. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database October 6, 2006. O'Donnell, J. (2006). USA TODAY: Holiday Season Sales Forecast. Retrieved October 5, 2006 from USA Today web site: http://www. usatoday. com/money/industries/retail/2006-09-18-retail-usat_x. htm Tanguay, George. (1995). Economic Inquiry. Shopping Hours and Price Levels in the Retail Industry: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis. 33(3), 516-525. Retrieved from Thomas Gale database on October 5, 2006. Target Annual Report. (2005). Retrieved October 4, 2006 from Target web site: http://investors. target. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=65828=irol-reportsAnnual

Disneyland Resort Paris Case Study

I believe that managers should adapt the resort to more local cultures for the 15th Anniversary in 2007. Even if Disney adapts to the local culture there is still going to be a sense of the American Disney World in the theme. Disney has expanded to countries all over the world yet they cannot change the fact that the characters are the same wherever they go. There is always going to be a Winnie the Pooh and Lion King and cultures all over the world view the American made movies. However; like mentioned in the case, I believe that even though very little of Disney’s core product needs adaptation, they must focus and change how they position and sell their product in each of the markets. To one market Mickey may mean something totally different to another. In order to be successful I believe that they do have to alter the way they do things from country to country and culture to culture. If they do not adapt to the local culture they could see more financial instability like they did in the past and they may see less people coming to their parks in Paris. One of the mistakes mentioned in the case was about how Disney did not serve alcohol in the park when it first opened and how they had to change that to meet the needs of their consumers and even this minor mess-up was not forgotten by the locals and it took them a long time to get over it. I think Disney could implement my suggestion by looking deeper into the cultures of the surrounding countries and the people who travel to the Paris park and research what they want and what would make their experience better. Also, look into their cultures and figure out how they like to do things. There are numerous countries and cultures that travel to Disneyland Paris and it is hard to get a grip on who the average consumer is and what they look like. This is where Disney really needs to meet the needs of numerous culture and people.

Walmart Pepe Jeans Operations Essays

Walmart Pepe Jeans Operations Essays Walmart Pepe Jeans Operations Essay Walmart Pepe Jeans Operations Essay Case: Pepe Jeans Pepe Jeans began to produce and sell denim jeans in the early 1970s in the United Kingdom and has achieved enormous growth. The company maintains contact with its independent retailers via group of 10 agents and each agent is responsible for retailers in a particular area of the country. Pepe is convinced that a good relationship with the independent retailers is vital to its success. The survey of the independent retailers indicated some problems. It was felt that Pepe’s variety of styles and quality was the company’s key advantage over the competition. However the independents were unhappy with Pepe’s requirement to place firm orders six months in advance with no possibility amendments, cancellation, or repeat ordering. Some claimed that the inflexible order system forced them to order less, resulting in stock outs. Pepe felt that a change was going to be needed soon. The easiest solution would be work with the Hong Kong sourcing agent to reduce the lead time associated with orders but this was going to increase the cost significantly. Even with the significant increase in cost, consistent delivery schedules would be difficult to keep. Another suggestion was to build a finishing operation in United Kingdom. Pepe was interested to see how system worked at U. S. operations. They found that they would have to keep about six weeks’ supply of basic jeans on hand in the United Kingdom and they have to invest ? 1,000,000 worth of equipment. They also estimated that it would cost about ? 500,000 to operate the facility each year. They could locate the facility in the basement of current office building, and the renovations would cost ? 300,000. Today’s operations management many companies outsource. Companies have variety of reasons for outsourcing but primarily the reasons are to reduce costs and create a competitive advantage. Companies tend to outsource in logistics area. This includes complete cycle of material flow; from the purchase and internal control of production materials to the planning and control of work-in-process; to the purchasing, shipping, and distribution of the finished product. Pepe Jeans outsourced in logistics area. Even though the company was successful and profitable doing so, this resulted in inefficient delivery time and unhappy retailers due to the restrictions of the outsourced company asking for six month lead time in ordering products. Now company faced with changing the way the production flow works in order to respond the retailers and independent agents’ complaints. As it indicates at themanager. org companies that rush overseas in search of low production costs may be walking into a strategic trap. Its easy to underestimate the hidden costs in long supply chains and their impact on profitability. Customers in outsourcing transactions face both direct and indirect risks. If your outsourcing vendor fails to perform, you may suffer direct damages in the form of out-of-pocket expenses incurred to perform the function yourself or hire another vendor, and lowered profits caused by lost business and harm to your reputation. Strategically, a main goal of outsourcing has always been to shift risk from the customer to the vendor. But while the risks arising from implementing new technologies and labor markets can be shifted in this way, CIOs know that not all risk can be handed off. A broad spectrum of risks involving finances and goodwill can arise from failures in outsourced functions. Simply put, operational risk always remains with the customer. Youre always responsible to the marketplace for your own performance. As the articles above indicate risks of outsourcing, we see this very example with Pepe Jeans. The restrictions of outsourced company in Hong Kong made it very hard for Pepe jeans to respond customer needs and made them very inflexible to its customers (retailers). It seems like Pepe Jeans may lose its profitability with outsourcing where the initial purpose was to save money. Sourcing company in Hong Kong agreed to shorten the lead time to 6 weeks instead of 6 month, but the company indicated that this would increase the cost significantly. If I was the CEO of Pepe Jeans, I’d look at what is beneficial for my company. I’d try to sit down with the sourcing company to renegotiate the contract to be able to make both sides happy. What I understand from the case study is that there are only couples of options laid out for Pepe Jeans. One is the renegotiating with Hong Kong based sourcing company and it seems like they offered a lead time of 6 weeks but a significant increase in cost but the case does not indicate how much. Other option is to move the finishing operations to United Kingdom. The case indicates that this will be very costly for Pepe Jeans. They will have to invest enormous amount of money for both purchasing the equipment and operating the facility. This will benefit the company in a way that it would reduce the cost by some percentage because the volumes would be higher. The last option is to locate the facility in the basement of current office building which would save Pepe Jeans about ? 200,000 a year. I would definitely suggest keeping the facility in the basement. Thinking out of the box, I would suggest them to use web based ordering system among retailers, agents, and the sourcing company. Having accurate and up to date visibility of stock means that customer orders can be checked on site and processed immediately, significantly improving the overall fulfillment rate. This would enable the real-time visibility of what is available from the customers’ stand point. I think this would be a least costly solution. Of course the cost would involve designing and implementing this IT solutions and also the training the end-users. Another benefit may be cost savings as a result of fewer order entry errors, increased revenues as a result of fewer lost sales due to poor stock visibility. Reference: 1)www. themanager. org 2)www. outsourcing-legal. com 3)www. optimizemag. com Case 2: Wal-Mart There are other secrets to Wal-Marts leverage in the marketplace. One is that, far better than its competitors, Wal-Mart understood the power of information. It revolutionized the retail industry by blazing a new trail with information technology. Wal-Mart exploited the magic of the information hidden in the barcode. This move put Wal-Mart ahead of the curve, and ahead of its suppliers, in terms of understanding exactly what consumers want and are buying. Wal-Mart is known with its supply chain from factory floor to store shelf, insisting on just-in-time deliveries from its suppliers to cut waste and down-time in warehouses. Wal-Mart has great power on manufacturers and suppliers; process of production, movement of the goods, warehousing of the goods, making sure that it arrives at the right place at the right time. This way Wal-Mart has power to play with the price. So they insist that it be done cheaply, it be done accurately, it be done quickly. Wal-Mart knows what it wants, when it wants, and where it wants it. The bar-coding revolution makes this possible. As an example, the company knows what size shirt, what color, long-sleeves, short-sleeves – a precise description of the product. When a store scans an item when it is bought, the information is immediately collected. So Wal-Mart knows where you bought it, the brand name and so forth. When the sales are recorded, an order is generated. An order is automatically generated that evening at midnight, when the home office pulls that information through their data ports. Then that order goes to the distribution facilities throughout the company, and that distribution facility, the warehouse, fills that order, and the order is sitting back on the shelf the next night or the following night. They also know what prices are popular, so they are able to say: We want to sell this at a certain price. You make it at a certain price, or were not going to work with you. This gives Wal-Mart an incredible leverage and buying power in the marketplace and over its competitors. Wal-Mart’s Vice President for Federal and International Corporate explains the company’s success with these words. Sam Walton started the process of saying you dont become successful by creating a process to have larger margins. What you do is you work on supply-chain efficiencies in many ways. You pass those savings on to the customer; you dont put them in your pocket. You pass them on to customers. That volume makes up for the item-by-item lower margin, if you will, and that volume allows you to grow and succeed and prosper. It creates also customer loyalty, knowing they can come to us every time and find the lowest price. And so our global sourcing is not to create higher margins. Thats not what its there to achieve. Its there to achieve having low-priced goods so we can pass those low-priced goods on to our consumers† The cornerstone of Wal-Marts increased efficiency was its trend-forecasting software, which tracked consumer behavior. In 1985, Sam Walton and his chief lieutenant, David Glass, began developing a program called Retail Link. The software, and the hardware that went along with it, took years to perfect, eventually costing $4 billion. This revolutionary system delivered sophisticated information on consumer behavior, drawn from the data imbedded in the barcodes that passed through checkout counters. Wal-Mart shared this revolutionary software with suppliers at no cost, in order to help them meet the retailers needs more efficiently. If vendors wanted their products on Wal-Marts shelves, they had to implement Wal-Marts customized business plans. Each year, the big retailer handed its suppliers detailed strategic business planning packets. Wal-Mart would grade them on weekly, quarterly and annual report cards. And when it came to discussions of price, there was no real negotiation, even for household brands. Thus, Wal-Mart used its buying power and its information about consumer buying habits to force vendors into squeezing their costs and keeping their profit margins low. Over time, some suppliers especially middle-sized and smaller firms were bankrupted; and major firms moved production overseas and increasingly to China. Here are some interesting statistics and facts about Wal-Mart: 100 million: The number of people who shop at Wal-Marts 3400 American stores every week. 50 million: The amount of square footage Wal-Mart plans to add this year, including 50-55 new Wal-Mart stores, 220-230 new Supercenters, 35-40 new Sams Club and 130-140 new international stores. 1. 2 million: The number of Wal-Mart associates in the U. S. Any full- or part-time Wal-Mart employee, up to and including the CEO, is considered an associate, in Wal-Mart parlance. Internationally, Wal-Mart employs an additional 330,000 associates. 600,000: The number of new employees Wal-Mart hires each year. The companys turnover rate is 44 percent close to the retail industry average. 1979: The year Wal-Marts sales first top $1 billion. $256 billion : Wal-Marts sales in 2003. In the words of Wal-Mart CFO Tom Schoewe, Wal-Marts sales are equal to one IBM, one Hewlett Packard, one Dell computer, one Microsoft and one Cisco System and oh, by the way, after that we got $2 billion left over. 35: The number of Wal-Mart Supercenters in China. $15 billion: The amount of Chinese products Wal-Mart estimates it imports each year; others suggest the number may be higher. $120 billion: The U. S. trade deficit with China in 2003. 8 percent: The amount of total U. S. retail sales, excluding automobiles, accounted for by Wal-Mart. $9. 98: The average full-time hourly wage for a Wal-Mart employee. The average full-time hourly wage in metro areas (defined as areas with a population of 50,000 or more) is $10. 38. In some urban areas it is higher: $11. 03 in Chicago, $11. 08 in San Francisco, and $11. 2 0 in Austin Reference: 1)Always Low Prices by Sam Hornblower 2)Secrets of Wal-Mart’s Success www. pbs. org 3) michaelbergdahl. net

Definition and Examples of Corpus Linguistics

Definition and Examples of Corpus Linguistics Corpus linguistics is the study of language based on large collections of real life language use stored in corpora (or corpuses)computerized databases created for linguistic research. Also known as corpus-based studies. Corpus linguistics is viewed by some linguists as a research tool or methodology, and by others as a discipline or theory in its own right.  Kuebler and Zinsmeister conclude that the answer to the question whether corpus linguistics is a theory or a tool is simply that it can be both. It depends on how corpus linguistics is applied (Corpus Linguistics and Linguistically Annotated Corpora, 2015). Although the methods used in corpus linguistics were first adopted in the early 1960s, the term corpus linguistics didnt appear until the 1980s. Examples and Observations [C]orpus linguistics is . . . a methodology,  comprising a large number of related methods which can be used by scholars of many different theoretical leanings. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that corpus linguistics is also frequently associated with a certain outlook on language. At the centre of this outlook is that the rules of language are usage-based and that changes occur when speakers use language to communicate with each other. The argument is that if you are interested in the workings of a particular language, like English, it is a good idea to study language in use. One efficient way of doing this is to use corpus methodology . . .. (Hans Lindquist, Corpus Linguistics and the Description of English. Edinburgh University Press, 2009)Corpus studies boomed from 1980 onwards, as corpora, techniques and new arguments in favour of the use of corpora became more apparent. Currently this boom continuesand both of the schools of corpus linguistics are growing . . .. Corpus linguistics is maturing methodologically and the range of languages addressed by corpus linguists is growing annually. (Tony McEnery and Andrew Wilson, Corpus Linguistics, Edinburgh University Press, 2001) Corpus Linguistics in the Classroom In the context of the classroom the methodology of corpus linguistics is congenial for students of all levels because it is a bottoms-up study of the language requiring very little learned expertise to start with. Even the students that come to linguistic enquiry without a theoretical apparatus learn very quickly to advance their hypotheses on the basis of their observations rather than received knowledge, and test them against the evidence provided by the corpus. (Elena Tognini-Bonelli,  Corpus Linguistics at Work. John Benjamins, 2001)To make good use of corpus resources a teacher needs a modest orientation to the routines involved in retrieving information from the corpus, andmost importantlytraining and experience in how to evaluate that information. (John McHardy Sinclair, How to Use Corpora in Language Teaching, John Benjamins, 2004) Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses Quantitative techniques are essential for corpus-based studies. For example, if you wanted to compare the language use of patterns for the words big and large, you would need to know how many times each word occurs in the corpus, how many different words co-occur with each of these adjectives (the collocations), and how common each of those collocations is. These are all quantitative measurements. . . .A crucial part of the corpus-based approach is going beyond the quantitative patterns to propose functional interpretations explaining why the patterns exist. As a result, a large amount of effort in corpus-based studies is devoted to explaining and exemplifying quantitative patterns. (Douglas Biber, Susan Conrad, and Randi Reppen, Corpus Linguistics: Investigating Language Structure and Use, Cambridge University Press, 2004)[I]n corpus linguistics quantitative and qualitative methods are extensively used in combination. It is also characteristic of corpus linguistics to begin with qua ntitative findings, and work toward qualitative ones. But . . . the procedure may have cyclic elements. Generally it is desirable to subject quantitative results to qualitative scrutinyattempting to explain why a particular frequency pattern occurs, for example. But on the other hand, qualitative analysis (making use of the investigators ability to interpret samples of language in context) may be the means for classifying examples in a particular corpus by their meanings; and this qualitative analysis may then be the input to a further quantitative analysis, one based on meaning . . .. (Geoffrey Leech, Marianne Hundt, Christian Mair, and Nicholas Smith, Change in Contemporary English: A Grammatical Study. Cambridge University Press, 2012)

Programming games in C# using SDL.NET

Programming games in C# using SDL.NET One of the problems with open source is that projects sometimes seem to fall by the wayside or take confusing turns. Take SDL.NET. Ignoring the website for sale, a search on the web reveals cs-sdl.sourceforge.net a project that seems to have stopped in November 2010. We dont think it has stopped but just looks like it has. If you dont know C#, you will first need to learn how to program in C#. Looking elsewhere, we came across the Tao framework linked on the Mono website which seems to cover the same area and adding support for sound etc. But looking on sourceforge (again!), it has been superseded by OpenTK but the focus there is OpenGL. However, it also includes OpenAL so installing the two (cs-sdl and OpenTK) seemed to be the way forward. Part of the OpenTk install failed; the NS (shader) because we dont have VS 2008 installed! However, the rest of it was ok. We created a C# Console project and started playing with SDL.NET. The online documentation can be found here. Looking back, we can see that the OpenTK framework wasnt needed as such, that SDL.NET installed everything but that wasnt clear at the time. It still uses the Tao Framework even though development of that has been superseded by OpenTK. Its a little confusing and we hope the SDL.NET team will bring out an OpenTk compatible version in the future. What Exactly is SDL.NET? Its not, as we thought, just a thin wrapper round SDL, but adds considerable extra functionality. There are a number of classes provided to provide the following: TimersProvides Sprites, including animation and TextProvides surfaces for 2D and OpenGlProvides support for Movie loading and playingProvides support for AudioProvides Bezier, polygon (and textures), square, circle, line, pie drawingProvides particle support with emitters and sprites and manipulators.Provides interfacing with Windows forms through a shared PictureBox with surface. Preparations There are several things you have to do to get it set up. Here they are: Locate the two SDL.NET dlls (SdlDotNet.dll and Tao.Sdl.dll) as well as the OpenTK dlls, and add them to the project references. After installation, the dlls are located in Program Files\SdlDotNet\bin (on a 32 bit Windows and Program Files (x86)\SdlDotNet\bin on 64 bit Windows. Right click on the References section in Solution Explorer then click Add Reference and select the Browse tab. That opens an Explorer dialog and after locating the dlls select then and click ok. SDL.NET uses the SDL set of dlls and installs them under the lib folder. Dont delete them! One last thing, click on the View\Properties so it opens up the Property pages and on the first tab (Application) Change Output type from Console Application to Windows Application. If you dont do this when the program first runs and opens up the SDL main Window it will open up a console Window as well. Were now ready to start and Ive created a short application below. This blits randomly sized and located rectangles and circles on the Window surface at 1,700 drawn per second at a frame rate of 50 frames per second. That 1,700 comes from setting the number drawn per frame to 17 and displaying the frames per second in the Window caption using Video.WindowCaption. Each frame it draws 17 filled circles and rectangles, 17 x 2 x 50 1,700. This figure depends on the video card, CPU etc. Its an impressive speed. // By David Bolton, http://cplus.about.comusing System;using System.Drawing;using SdlDotNet.Graphics;using SdlDotNet.Core;using SdlDotNet.Graphics.Primitives;public class ex1{private const int wwidth 1024;private const int wheight 768;private static Surface Screen;private static Random r new Random() ;public static void Main(string[] args){Screen Video.SetVideoMode( wwidth, wheight, 32, false, false, false, true) ;Events.TargetFps 50;Events.Quit (QuitEventHandler) ;Events.Tick (TickEventHandler) ;Events.Run() ;}private static void QuitEventHandler(object sender, QuitEventArgs args){Events.QuitApplication() ;}private static void TickEventHandler(object sender, TickEventArgs args){for (var i 0; i 17; i){var rect new Rectangle(new Point(r.Next(wwidth- 100),r.Next(wheight-100)),new Size(10 r.Next(wwidth - 90), 10 r.Next(wheight - 90))) ;var Col Color.FromArgb(r.Next(255),r.Next (255),r.Next(255)) ;var CircCol Color.FromArgb(r.Next(255), r.Next (255), r.Next(255)) ;short rad ius (short)(10 r.Next(wheight - 90)) ;var Circ new Circle(new Point(r.Next(wwidth- 100),r.Next(wheight-100)),radius) ;Screen.Fill(rect,Col) ;Circ.Draw(Screen, CircCol, false, true) ;Screen.Update() ;Video.WindowCaption Events.Fps.ToString() ;}}} Object Oriented Development SDL.NET is very Object Oriented and there are two predefined objects that are used in every SDL.NET application. Video provides methods to set the video mode, create video surfaces, hide and show the mouse cursor, and interact with OpenGL. Not that well be doing OpenGL for a while. The Events class contains events which can be attached to to read user input and other miscellaneous occurrences. Here the Video object is used to set the size and resolution of the game Window (full screen is an option). The parameters for SetVideoMode let you change these and 13 overloads provide plenty of variety. Theres a .chm file (Windows html help format) in the doc folder documenting all the classes and members. The Events object has a Quit events handler that lets you add close down logic and you should call Events.QuitApplication() to make it respond to the user closing the application. The Events.Tick is possibly the most important event handler. It calls the specified event handler each frame. This is the model for all SDL.NET development. You can set your desired frame rate and my reducing the loop to 5 and changing the Targetfps to 150 we got it running at 164 frames per second. TargetFps is a ballpark figure; it puts in delays to get you near that figure but the Events.Fps is what is delivered. Surfaces Like the original non Windowed version of SDL, the SDL.NET uses surfaces for rendering to the screen. A surface can be constructed from a graphics file. There are a large number of properties and methods that make it possible to read or write pixels as well as draw the graphics primitives, blit other surfaces, even dump a surface to a disk file for taking screenshots. SDLNET provides just about everything to let you create games. Well be looking at the various features over the next few tutorials then move onto creating games with it.

Assistance at National Investment and Insurance Essay

Assistance at National Investment and Insurance - Essay Example As the discussion declares an evolution of the concept of motivation is briefly outlined along with the major theories to enhance the perspective regarding the present context as well as justify the identification of the lack of motivation as the fundamental problematic for the ITS of NII. Based on the theories of motivation, two features of the part-time employment policy – no dependence of pay on performance and the lack of information regarding intrinsic benefits of working part-time in terms of future full time employment possibility, are identified as the fundamental problems that create an environment that does not provide any incentives to perform better. The report suggests redesigning the employment scheme and making a part of the pay dependent upon performance, i.e., introducing financial rewards as incentives to perform better as the first step. Secondly, it is suggested to introduce the intrinsic reward of higher possibility of being offered full-time employment gi ven higher performance. The subject of the given case study entitled â€Å"Assistance at National Investment and insurance† is the sub-optimality of the service provided by the employees of the IT support (ITS) section identified to be Assistance Officers (AOs) and the resulting performance of the department in totality. The study reports that from a survey conducted on National Investment and insurance (NII) employees who utilized services of the IT support section regarding the performance of the AOs emerged to be less than satisfactory. Apart from delayed responses and resolutions, unfriendly or mechanical attitudes were reported though surprisingly, the considerable majority of the problems addressed were

Sustainable Operations Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainable Operations Paper - Essay Example Soon companies started realizing that profits and profitability are not the only factors of long term development but future of the people and the planet are also key elements for sustainable operations. Hence, these new objectives were classified as the triple bottom line (3BL) which included the three P’s of people, profit and planet. After all the recent developments and expansions, people have started to ask for more than mere salaries and profits. They now emphasize on factors like improved performance on environmental, health and safety issues. So now Wal-Mart has to make the decision of investing in such activities of environmental and health concerns and how do follow them in the most efficient and cost effective method. Wal-Mart, 2009. Media OnSugar [http://media.onsugar.com/files/ons4/2009/12/53/307/3075777/e343f2c5ac55a097_350px-Sustainable_development.svg.xlarge.jpg] â€Å"At Wal-Mart, we know that being an efficient and profitable business and being a good stewar d of the environment are goals that can work together. Our broad environmental goals at Wal-Mart are simple and straightforward: To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; To create zero waste; To sell products that sustains people and the environment. Our efforts have been recognized through  numerous awards, which would not be possible without the support of our customers, associates and communities around the world.† (Wal-mart, 2012) Wal-Mart launched a global business strategy of sustainability to lessen the business’s burden on the global environment and hence become one of the leading supply-chain companies in the world. They aimed to be named as the most competitive and innovative company in the world. The emphasis was then on the fact that objective of profitability was going to be taken along with the implementation of development of the environment. (Wal-Mart, 2012) The management at Wal-Mart knew that they had to carry the program of improvement of env ironment along with business profitability to gain sustainable operations and growth in longer term. Wal-Mart hired a popular firm, Blu Skye for an overall analysis of the environmental impact and for consultation on issues related to sustainability in the globalized world. Wal-Mart collaborated with other companies as well which included; Conservation International (CI) and Environmental Defense (ED). ( Farfan, 2011) The team of Wal-Mart executives had identified 3 primary areas of environmental goals which mainly included; energy, waste and products. All these are divided into two sections; direct goals and indirect goals. Direct goals include increasing energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy and reducing waste in retail operations. All these were in immediate control of Wal-Mart and can be classified as primary factors. Indirect goals included basic operations and relationship with the suppliers. They focused more on sustainable operations and entire value chain of Wal-Mart. (Herrera, 2010) All the sustainable operations drive led by the management of Wal-Mart was highly confused as being more of philanthropist nature. After serious concerns and meeting, the idea was brought into the mind of many who were confused to clear all the misconceptions about the business handling being carried out. They stated that all the business activity carried out by Wal-Mart was not

Navis SWOT analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Navis SWOT analysis - Essay Example Several forces control the performance of the shipping industry. One of them is the seasonal nature of the business, whereby some times of the year have more goods for transport than other seasons (Boyd, 2007). The industry is also dependent on the weather whereby poor weather conditions may affect the navigation of ships. The strengths of these forces are that they may positively increase the quantity of goods for transport and because of a higher demand, push up the prices. However, they also result in other weaknesses, such that firms are always found unable to foresee an unsustainable rise in demand, which makes it difficult to control the sector during high seasons. Additionally, instead of companies focusing on the provision of new services through innovation, it only considers increasing the size of its fleet, which at times is unsustainable, considering the fact that the industry is sometimes seasonal (Boyd, 2007). Other than the weather, inflicted cause, over the years, the nature of the forces has been dependent on the performance of the economy. Since the recovery from the economic recession, the industry has significantly experienced a positive improvement with the companies sharpening their strategies to gain significant controls of the market share in the industry (PWC, 2011). From the analysis, companies that will be able to use data mining tools to foresee rising demands of services at different times of the year will have a competitive edge over others. Consequently, those who consider implementing innovative solutions to their services are also likely to record a positive performance over those that do not. Navis as a firm tends to have various resources and skills that tend to relish value and quality. The instance implies that the company is capable of giving peculiar services to customers that tend to hold a real return. The firm thus does not only handle products but also handles

Kenya Airways Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kenya Airways - Assignment Example The airline was initially owned by the Government of Kenya until the year 1995, and it was privatized in 1996 and since then it has become the first African flag carrier in successfully doing so. Today Kenya Airways is a public-private partnership. In this regard, the shareholding of this partnership is as follows Government of Kenya (29.8%), followed by KLM, which has a 26.73% stake in the company. The rest is held by private owners. (Kenya airways.ac.ke) Â  Being first flag carrier in Kenya its stocks are traded in different exchange markets this includes Nairobi Stock exchange, the Dar-es-salaam Stock Exchange, and the Uganda Stock exchange. Kenya Airways has become widely considered as one of the leading Sub-Saharan operators and became a full member of sky team in June 2010 and a member of African Airlines Association since 1977 and it has had quite a tremendous growth with 4,834 employees as per June 2012. Â  The airline has been using web sale service and this has shown some tremendous growth of USD 28.6 million in ticket sales compared to USD 24.2 million in the previous year showing a growth rate of 17.9%, with total revenue of USD 95.2 billion which is an increase of 26.3% above prior year. Â  The management of Kenya Airways has given a report that the profitability of the company has been affected by some factors this includes high fuel prices, the euro crisis and a generally weak economy in the West. Despite this, the management has announced a high turnover of USD 107.9 billion which represent a 26% increase on prior year turnover of USD 85.8 billion, profit after tax realized was USD 1.66 billion compared to the prior year of USD 3.5 billion. Â  

Black Feminist Thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Black Feminist Thought - Essay Example Black feminism thought refers to a contemplation which argues that class oppression, racism and sexism are inextricably bound as one. Black feminist thought can as well be described as an idea meant to show that women should all be treated equally and fairly regardless of race and sex. The manner in which all these three issues relate to each other is referred to as intersectionality. There are forms of feminism that strive to do away with class and sexism but tend to ignore race. In this case, discrimination against people especially women through racial foundation is high. Combahee River collective is a union which supported the black women by arguing that their liberation would do away with sexism, racism and oppression of class. From research in the past, it is clear that black women experienced oppression from the black women giving the impression that they could not live with the whites without having issues among them (Carby, 1982, 92). Alice Walker is one among many women who has contributed to fighting for rights of women by forming a movement that supports their rights. This movement was known as Alice Walker’s Womanism.... This is not the case with the white women as this is not how they are positioned. With this in mind, it is clear that black women are not treated fairly. There are black feminist organizations that have been formed since long ago but they have faced many challenges. These challenges faced are mainly implicated by other Black Nationalist political unions or white women. This is yet another factor showing that black women have had a rough time with the white ones in the past (Collins, 1990, 85). The main reason as to why this organisation was oppressed by other larger organizations is because most members moved from the large organisation joining it. The other reason explaining why the black women were oppressed is the stereotype that was attributed to them. In this case, sex was the main issue as black women were referred to as whores and bulldaggers. This is one issue giving a clear impression that they were considered to be useful in the society (Davis, 1981, 56). At this point it w as even more serious because black men were involved in oppressing them as well. At this point they did not face oppression from the whites only but also from the blacks. The blacks who oppressed the ladies in this case were men. There are three main challenges that black women had to face from the whites and these larger unions. These challenges are: i. Prove to their fellow black women that feminism was not for the white women only. ii. They had to make the white women share power with them equally which they had to do it by force. iii. They had to fight misogynist propensities of Black Nationalism. Over the years, many feminist movements and

Media exploretion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media exploretion - Assignment Example Under painting is a transparent oil sketch. Mostly it is made up of turpentine. Tonal ground is when the entire canvas is evenly applied with a single color which will be used as a shadow of the painting. Oil painting mostly engages the use of brush and canvas for painting as the major tools. Equipment is not necessarily available in this case but computers can be used to manipulate certain paintings due to the advancement in technology. There are several categories which are used in painting artwork. One of the categories of painting is through use of oil. There is also the use of water crayons as a means of painting. The techniques and processes for Painting Oil painting is one of the categories which is considered as a postmodern method of painting. Oil painting can further be divided into 3 categories which we shall describe how they all work. One form is the wet on wet, build up, and Open canvas technique. Wet on wet technique is a process which requires the artist to be well experienced and apt with painting techniques. The process of painting begins at least 3 days before the actual painting begins. There is need for the artist to have a clear knowledge on the color theory and how colors can be mixed. In addition to this, must be coherent with form development and greater expertise with brushwork. This is because the painting begins with light under painting which is referred to as an oil sketch. From this, the painting is expected to have established a composition of tone which is slowly built up as the process of painting progresses. Adjustments of the paint takes place through glazes which are also treated as an un-layered technique. Build up technique involves a layering process in which the light and bright colors are placed last in the painting. This is normally done when the other parts of the painting are dry. The texture of the light paint is highly influenced by the brushwork. Open Canvas technique

Black Feminist Thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Black Feminist Thought - Essay Example Black feminism thought refers to a contemplation which argues that class oppression, racism and sexism are inextricably bound as one. Black feminist thought can as well be described as an idea meant to show that women should all be treated equally and fairly regardless of race and sex. The manner in which all these three issues relate to each other is referred to as intersectionality. There are forms of feminism that strive to do away with class and sexism but tend to ignore race. In this case, discrimination against people especially women through racial foundation is high. Combahee River collective is a union which supported the black women by arguing that their liberation would do away with sexism, racism and oppression of class. From research in the past, it is clear that black women experienced oppression from the black women giving the impression that they could not live with the whites without having issues among them (Carby, 1982, 92). Alice Walker is one among many women who has contributed to fighting for rights of women by forming a movement that supports their rights. This movement was known as Alice Walker’s Womanism.... This is not the case with the white women as this is not how they are positioned. With this in mind, it is clear that black women are not treated fairly. There are black feminist organizations that have been formed since long ago but they have faced many challenges. These challenges faced are mainly implicated by other Black Nationalist political unions or white women. This is yet another factor showing that black women have had a rough time with the white ones in the past (Collins, 1990, 85). The main reason as to why this organisation was oppressed by other larger organizations is because most members moved from the large organisation joining it. The other reason explaining why the black women were oppressed is the stereotype that was attributed to them. In this case, sex was the main issue as black women were referred to as whores and bulldaggers. This is one issue giving a clear impression that they were considered to be useful in the society (Davis, 1981, 56). At this point it w as even more serious because black men were involved in oppressing them as well. At this point they did not face oppression from the whites only but also from the blacks. The blacks who oppressed the ladies in this case were men. There are three main challenges that black women had to face from the whites and these larger unions. These challenges are: i. Prove to their fellow black women that feminism was not for the white women only. ii. They had to make the white women share power with them equally which they had to do it by force. iii. They had to fight misogynist propensities of Black Nationalism. Over the years, many feminist movements and

Discrimination Against Homosexuals in the Military Essay Example for Free

Discrimination Against Homosexuals in the Military Essay Since 1993 more than 14,500 service members were fired under the law of †Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† (sldn. org). In 1950, President Harry S. signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which set up the discharge rules for homosexual service members. People wanting to serve their country were being discriminated and discharged because of their sexuality. Then in 1982, Ronald Reagan proposed a defense directive that states â€Å"Homosexuality is incompatible with military service† and people who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they were homosexual or bisexual were discharged. In 1992, Bill Clinton, as a presidential candidate, promised to lift the ban. Finally in 1993, when Bill Clinton was elected president, he proposed a compromise that he named â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. This law issued a defense directive that military applicants should not be able to be asked about their sexual orientation (Washington Post). Homosexuals being discriminated in the military have grabbed the attention of people all around the world. The question on whether or not homosexuals should have the right to serve in the military was a hotly debated topic in politics for the past few years. Even after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, will our society be ready to accept others? The research started with searching â€Å"Homosexuals in the military†. Then â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† and personal stories of gays in the military was found. Unfortunately, no books could be found on this topic, but articles from top newspapers became a valid choice. Documentaries and podcasts were also looked at. Good sources were easy to find because the topic was so controversial in the US, so the news articles came in handy. The repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† was all over US news websites, and news clips from YouTube were found. Last fall, a pentagon study was released that said a majority of the US forces, more than 70%, said that serving with homosexuals would have no negative effect on them. Forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan had a different response. 58% of combat marines said that they would prefer not to serve with homosexuals. Since the repeal in late September, the effect has been positive on quite a lot of people. The main people who are opposed to the repeal are the military chaplains. The majority of the 3,000 active chaplains are conservative Christians. A retired chaplain, named Brigadier General Douglas Lee, is one of the 66 retired chaplains that wrote a letter to President Obama, urging him to not go through with the repeal. In a video showing the effects (positive and negative) of the repeal, shows Brigadier General Douglas Lee talking about Don’t ask, Don’t Tell. He says, â€Å"Homosexuality is one of a multitude of sins. Chaplains help people wrestle with the sins that bisect them and their lives. The problem with this repeal is that this particular sin is being legitimized as being normal and okay†. The problem with the non acceptance of the chaplains is that many and most conservative Christians believe that homosexuality, like all of the other sins in the bible, is a lifestyle choice (Pbs. org). According to another Pentagon Study, thirty-five other countries allow homosexuals to serve openly with no negative effect (Sldn.  org). Consider two men, both wanting to serve their country, one is gay and one is straight. They get all of the same test scores, and pass, yet only the straight guy is let in, not because of anything else other than his sexuality. If the same circumstances had happened, instead with a man and a woman, it would be sexist. If one was white and the other was black, it would be racist. All of the victims of these situations would have protection under the law and could sue, except for the homosexual. The homosexual has no legal protection from the government (Library in a book: Gay Rights). The repeal could be the first step to changing this. September 20th 2011, Obama stated, â€Å"As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service†(UStoday. com). Military bases around the US have been holding sessions for service members to educate them on the repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. They say, â€Å"You are not expected to change your religious or moral beliefs, however you are obligated to treat all others with dignity and respect† (Pbs. org). It seems as though that our society has been coping positively since the repeal. There are always going to be some people who will not stray from their views, but the percentages are going up and more and more people are willing to except homosexuals serving freely in the US.