Accounting Equation Essay

The accounting equation is a formula that represents the relationship between the assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity of a small business. Businesses use this to basically show what it owns what it owes and what its investors are investing. In order to understand these concepts it is important to have some knowledge of what is meant by each of the three basic components mentioned. â€Å"Assets refer to the worth of goods or products in the possession of the owner. Liabilities represent the amount of cash or resources that were borrowed in order to acquire the assets. Net worth is the financial worth of the individual, less any outstanding debts to outside entities. †(M. Tatum 2013). These things are important because this is what makes a business of any size thrive. Business need to know these things so that it may make decisions about its future to determine whether or not it has the potential to be successful and prosper in the future or if they should take an alternate route to better their business practice. The balance Sheet plays a role in the accounting equation by giving a brief picture of the company’s financial state at a point in time. The balance sheet will represent the accounting equation for a company Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ Equity stated more simply, the dollar total of the assets equals the dollar total of the liabilities plus the dollar total of the owners’ equity. The balance sheet presents a company’s resources, what they have what they owe and what is invested in them. For example, say a company has an increase of $1,000 to its assets since the owner decided to invest more money into his business. This increase to assets represents an equal increase to the amount of money the company owes to the owner (equity). Thus, the accounting equation will not remain in balance unless $1,000 is added to the company’s equity as well (QuickMBA, 2007). It is important to realize, though, that a transaction can affect only one side of the accounting equation. For instance, if a company chooses to purchase office supplies for $400 using cash, this will not affect the business’s liabilities or equity. Instead, it only represents the exchange of one asset for another (cash is decreased by $400, while office supplies increase by $400). Finally, a transaction can cause more than two affects on the accounting equation. For example, say a retailer decides to buy a shipment of a new product for $1,000. This causes an automatic increase of $1,000 to inventory (an asset). However, instead of paying for this shipment with only cash, the company decides to pay $500 up front and purchase the rest on credit. As a result, cash is only decreased by $500 and liabilities are increased by $500, thus causing three changes to the accounting equation (Money Instructor, 2005).

Administrative Discretion – Essay

Administrative Discretion NAME SCHOOL Should public administrators be restricted to only laid down rules in the discharge of their duties as espoused by Max Weber or should they have some amount of discretion? To me that is a very open question in regards to public administration and depending on the situation either administrators’ following guidelines is best or administrators following their best discretion can be the best for the situation at hand. So when answering this question I can go either way, situation and circumstances permitting. In this paper I will go into further detail to explain why both sides of this question are equally applicable. When situations arise and public administrators have to make decisions in regards to the public safety, environmental safety, or the safety of anything in general it is important that they follow the laid down rules that their duties are bound by. Legal-rational authority â€Å"is based on a belief in the legitimacy of the pattern of normative rules and the rights of those elevated to authority under such rules to issue commands† (1). This can also be translated into â€Å"follow the rules of society! Everything has always worked better if everyone and everything follows this bureaucratic rule of thumb. One situation where public administrators should have been held to follow the laid down rules in regards to their duties was the finalization of the DoD, or Department of Defense’s budget. The ultimate work around was an extension to make a decision and funds w ere allocated for the mean time but potentially this could have been a major freeze on the majority of DoD operations to include the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard. On the other hand, there is another option that makes sense. Public administrators, while following the laid down rules they are to follow, can be very effective when allowed varying amounts of discretion in their actions. Weber states that legal-rational authority is â€Å"†¦superior to any other form in precision, in stability, in stringency of its discipline, and in its reliability. It thus makes possible a particularly high degree of calculability of results for the heads of organizations and for those acting in relation to it† (1). Now taking that this type of bureaucracy that is followed works very well, in my career in the military I have learned that when particular situations arise, flexibility and speed is key. Thus in turn, public administrators are allowed that extra bit of flexibility just like in the case study 5 – Wichita Confronts Contamination. City Manager Chris Cherches used the flexibility he had managing the city and was able to save the city and state thousands if not millions of dollars that would be wasted if the EPA had been forced to manage the city’s cleanup operation. Cherches swift action, flexibility and determination in service to his city was detrimental to not only saving the cost that would have been brought to the city and state but his actions show how being allowed the discretion in his position actually provided a better outcome than not. Ultimately, flexibility or discretion is the deciding factor when it comes to getting the positive result or outcome of any situation. When it comes down to it, it is the actual situation or circumstance that dictates what the best course of action is to be, whether it is to follow the rules down to the letter or to have the discretion to make the decisions that will ultimately be the deciding factor in the positive outcome. With the examples give, on one hand you have congress who cannot come to an agreement over the finalization of a budget for the arm of the government, the Department of Defense and luckily was able to extend the term of the budget freeing up an allocated amount of funds. On the other was the City Manager of Wichita, Kansas who was able to save not only the city but the state countless amounts of money in a cleanup operation. So as you can see it is not a question of what is right, answer A all of the time or answer B all of the time, it is the question of which situation applies; can you use answer A, answer B for the particular situation. In the real world, situation and circumstances dictate all actions and outcomes. References: 1. Stillman, R. J. , II (2010). Public Administration, Concepts and Cases. Boston, MA: Wadsworth

Fall in and dulce et decorum est Essay

During WW1 war poetry changed dramatically. At the beginning of the war, in 1914, propaganda poems were a popular technique to encourage men to join the army to fight for England. Harold Begbie’s ‘Fall In’ was a typical highly patriotic poem that persuaded men to enlist. However, poetry changed at around 1916, after the Battle of Somme, when thousands of men were killed. Soldiers like Wilfred Owen’s wrote poems showing the real terrors they faced in war. Both poems are war poems and both poets use different language techniques to provoke the reader’s feelings. This essay will compare ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ and ‘Fall in’ by looking at the language, structure used and the poets’ attitude towards war. Begbie uses many techniques to make men want to enlist to fight for their freedom in ‘Fall In’. This poem was published as a ‘call to war’ in newspapers and magazines. Highly patriotic poems are also known as jingoistic poems and were very popular at the beginning of the war, as they persuaded men to enlist. We see an example of a patriotic phrase in stanza two; ‘In the war that kept men free? ‘ This implies that England was free before the war and by joining the war the men are helping to keep England free forever. This is patriotic, as it is saying how good England was and how everyone had there freedom. Men liked their freedom and so enlisted. Also; ‘And Right is smashed by Wrong? ‘ supports the idea of patriotism, as the word ‘Right’ describes England and ‘Wrong’ describing Germans. Meanwhile, Owen’s poem is based on his own war experience, and his poems convey the pain, and suffering the soldiers encountered by using a range of similes, metaphors and onomatopoeias; A simile; ‘Coughing like hags’ illustrates how weak and ill the soldiers are. The metaphor ‘Knock kneed’ emphasizes how tired the men are as if they are about to collapse as their knees cannot support them anymore. The onomatopoeia in stanza three presents the poem in a more realistic way; ‘Come gurgling from his froth corrupted lungs’ uses the onomatopoeia ‘gurgling’. The reader can almost hear the painful sounds of the dying man. Secondly, Begbie says that soldiers who go to war will not be mocked and will be loved for their bravery when they come back. The poem threatens the reader that if he does not enlist, he will be looked down upon and we see this from the line; ‘But what will you lack when your mate goes by with a girl who cuts you dead? ‘ The words ‘cuts you dead’ support the same idea. ‘When the girls line up the street shouting their love to the lads to come back’ shows that girls will praise and love the soldiers who come back from war. Men like having lots of attention and will therefore join the army. On the other hand, Owen presents a very different view. Owen believes that soldiers will be destroyed and traumatised forever after the war; ‘In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning’. Here, Owen talks about how endless nightmares tortured him every night. The nightmare was described vividly to the reader, so those who want to enlist will think about the consequences. When Owen says, ‘In all my dreams’ it shows that he saw the man every night. He was badly affected after seeing the horrors in war. Many soldiers were badly traumatised after the war and had to be taken to a psychiatric hospital. This is the opposite picture Begbie creates; there are no cheerful soldiers being chased by women. Thirdly, Begbie uses a question and answer structure to make the reader question why they are not going to war. For instance, ‘How will you fare, sonny, how will you fare in the far-off winter night’ is one of Begbie’s questions which occur at the beginning of each stanza. The poem assumes that man is going to live. Most people are scared of death at war, but the way that Begbie assumes the reader will survive makes the reader think that it is an easy war and, so, it is not a problem joining the army. Also, the way Begbie uses the word ‘Sonny’ displays the idea that he is older that the reader and most young men, at that time, respected their elders very much and would listen to what they said. The answer; ‘Will you slink away, as it were from a blow, your old head shamed and bent? ‘ would make the men who are not fighting want to enlist, as they know it could happen to them one day. Conversely, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ has a much different structure. Here, Owen describes what trench life is like and then follows on to describe a gas attack. There is no question and answer structure and instead every alternate line rhymes. The first stanza tells us of life in the trenches, and Owen emphasizes how weak the soldiers are. The second stanza describes a gas attack, and the third stanza describes what a gas attack does to its victim. Finally, Begbie’s attitude, which is shown in ‘Fall In’, is that all men should go to war. He is saying that all men should enlist and fight for their country. The last sentence; ‘When your brothers stand to the tyrant’s blow and England’s call is God’s! ‘ demonstrates that Begbie expects all men to fight against the ‘tyrant’s blow’ as ‘brothers’. He also compares England’s call to God’s call showing that he thinks that Gods thinks that all men should fight against the Germans and their allies as well. People who were very religious might have thought that war was a chance to prove to God that they were brave and faithful to their country and should go to Heaven. In opposition, ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ has a different attitude. Owen’s poem says why men should not enlist and that death in war is unnecessary and inevitable; ‘the old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est pro patria mori’ this means that it is not sweet and right to die for your country. The words; ‘The old Lie’ proves that Owen disagrees with it being sweet and right to die for your country. We also see that Owen has a negative attitude towards other propaganda poets. For example; ‘My friend, you would not tell with such high zest’ proves that he is against men being told to enlist; ‘My friend’ implies that Owen is talking to a propaganda poet such as Begbie. He does not mean ‘My friend’ and is using sarcasm. He blames the propaganda poets for making so many men think war is good and making them enlist, causing many deaths. Many people, when war was just announced, were extremely eager for it to start since they thought war would be over in a few months. The saying; ‘Over by Christmas’ was what everybody expected. However, the war lasted much longer then that-a total of four years. After the Battle of Somme attitudes started to change dramatically, since hundred thousands of soldiers were being killed per day! Wilfred Owen started writing about what the soldiers had to confront during this time, and war did not seem so honourable.

Investment Banking - Exit Strategy or a Living Will Dissertation

Investment Banking - Exit Strategy or a Living Will - Dissertation Example Financial and banking institutions play a fundamental role in determining economic growth and development globally. Given their importance to the public and other arms of the government, financial institutions are strongly regulated and controlled. The central government through its legal bodies establishes sound financial legislations aimed at monitoring, controlling, and regulating financial institutions and the banking sector. Financial experts following the Asian global meltdown of 1997 later criticized the Asian miracle that was embraced for its success in Asian. This financial crisis spilt over to other parts of the world leading to global financial failures. In less than a decade after such financial disaster, the world experience one of the worst financial crises whose magnitude is estimated to that of the great depression of the 1930s. This research paper seeks to discuss the chronological events of the Asian and global financial crisis, bankruptcy legislations, the moral ha zard, insolvency, resolutions, and institutional frameworks designed by the legal team to restore sanity in the global financial sector. In addition, this paper evaluates the exit strategy adopted by the investment financial institutions. ... conomic prospects of creditors in a debt bound firm 18 2.5 Case law and obligations owed to creditors 19 CHAPTER THREE 21 3.0 Corporate laws and economics 22 3.1 Regulatory styles 27 3.2 Moral hazards and great failures 27 CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 The TURNER/ VICKERS PROPOSAL 30 4.1 Policy objectives 30 4.2 Defaults of the report 31 4.3 Legal and economic thoughts 33 4.4 The cost of ring-fencing 34 4.5.0. Defects of ICB report on corporate and retail banking 39 4.5.1. Competition in retail banking 39 4.6.0. Non-ring fenced residuals 40 4.6.1. Banking outside the EEA 40 4.6.2. The concept of separation 42 4.6.3. Cost of investment banking in the UK 43 4.7 The rationale of the dimensions in banking 44 4.8 Alternative approach to banking 45 CHAPTER FIVE 5.0. Analysis and discussions 45 5.1.0. THE LIVING WILL IN INVESTMENT BANKING 46 5.1.1. Concepts and descriptions 46 5.1.2. The Funeral plan of the US 46 5.2 Effects of the living will 48 5.3 The mild and strong variants 49 5.4 The EU framework for crisis management in the financial sector 53 5.5 Economic performance in Europe 54 CHAPTER SIX 6.0 CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATION 56 BIBLIOGRAPPHY 58 APPENDIX AND CASE TABLES 69 CHAPTER 1 1.0. Introduction Banking systems are shaped by financial stability arrangements. As the European Union ponders reforms towards its financial arrangements, it is in the course of determining which type of financial system it will have in the future. The financial crisis has brought the long-building tension between progressively more transitional financial institutions and national financial stability arrangements to a breaking point. The European Union now needs to select how to eliminate that tension that will eventually shape its economic and financial future. 1.1. The Crisis The European financial

Cost of Operation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cost of Operation - Research Paper Example The final factor that needs to be bought to one’s attention is flexibility which can be defined as the ability to support a change in business. If a company is not able to control these five operational performance objectives then clearly it won’t be an easy job for it to thrive in this already competitive industry. This essay discusses all these factors in relation to Airblue and gives a clear application of the five operational performance objectives to its business. I chose AirBlue for this assignment in view of the fact that it is one of the most renowned names when it comes to the airline industry and because I felt I would easily be able to explain the effect of these factors on its operations with sufficient detail. Airblue was launched in 2004 when the local market started witnessing an increased demand for high quality travel. The company’s ownership includes a group of top class investors with Mr. Tariq Chaudhary having a majority stake alongside holding the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board of Airblue. The company is registered as a private company and has its registered office in the famous towers of Islamabad Stock Exchange. The airliner has also successfully been able to obtain the IATA and ICAO airline designations. Currently it has a fleet of 14 Airbus A319 and A321 planes. Ever since its launch, the airliner has continually stretched out its operations and fleet in line with an ever escalating demand for the high quality flights it provides. Although initially it served only to customers travelling within Pakistan, the company has now expanded its operations by offering international flights to Manchester, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman and Muscat. According to many market analysts, the focal reason for the airline’s success has been its provision for high quality travel at an

Lesson Plan for Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS Essay

Lesson Plan for Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS - Essay Example However, with the introduction of geospatial technology such as remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS), and global positioning system (GPS), Social Studies can become very interesting to pre-collegiate students. In fact, â€Å"with data from satellite-based sensors becoming widely available, curricular and instructional opportunities are limitless† (Gaile & Willmott 2003, 411). This lesson is a basic introduction of geospatial technology itself, particularly RS, GIS, and GPS to the students in the K-12 educational levels using the simplest forms of explication and focusing on instilling in the students its correct appraisal in relation their subject Social Studies. II. Learning Objectives The use of geospatial technology has been of much use ever since it was developed and introduced. Government agencies involved in different aspects of national and social life use it to gather and analyze information, whether these are regarding the population, the weather, polit ics, agriculture, and other concerns. Because of this, it is imperative for teachers in K-12 social studies subjects to introduce spatial and geographic issues and to introduce students to the technologies to be used for these (Alibrandi & Moloney 2001). In doing so, the following may well be the objectives not just for the students who are the recipient of the education process but also for the teacher who delivers it to them. 1. To educate K-12 students in Social Studies about the basic features of geospatial technology, particularly Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS. 2. To develop spatial thinking that may involve knowledge in orientation, scale, symmetry, and similar concepts. This will help students in â€Å"understanding change over space versus change over time and recognizing as understanding change over space versus change over time and recognizing patterns in data† (Schultz et al 2008, 27) . 3. To present the means in which the geospatial technology is applied in certain branches of science that are of vital importance to society and the country. 4. To teach students the importance of GIS, RS and GPS in enriching their learning experience in Social Studies and History, especially because events â€Å"occur not only in time, but in space, and expanding spatial understandings literally gives more dimension to simple historical understanding† (Alibrandi & Baker 2008, 8). III. Resources Needed Due to the obvious fact that teaching geospatial technology to K-12 students requires advanced resources too, it may be necessary to procure computers and the appropriate software. Schools are expected to have computers already though. Therefore what would be needed would be certain software for RS, GIS, and GPS. These software varieties may be available online already, which is why it is also imperative that the computers used for instruction should be connected to the internet. Using the internet-based maps or web maps can be considered as a good start b ecause these do meet the requirements in teaching geospatial technology and, at the same time provide teachers with instant geographic solutions to student questions and academic needs (Baker 2005, 45). Other resources that will be needed are as follows: 1. History and Social Studies textbooks corresponding to the grade level of the students being taught. 2. Printed maps or a globe 3. Software that may need to be installed to the computers that would be

Trifles by Susan Glaspell Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trifles by Susan Glaspell - Assignment Example and Mrs. Wright in the eyes of the investigators as well as the two women who played most of the parts in the drama, Mrs. Peters who is the sheriff’s wife, always understanding the job of the investigators but took the side of Mrs. Wright in the unfolding of the story and Mrs. Hale who is the neighbor of the Wrights and wife of Mr. Hale who was the first to learn about the crime. As the title connotes, the theme of the story is about trifles or insignificant matters which to the men in the story were the worries of the women. The county attorney presented the politician’s gallantry, wanting to please everybody just like when he wondered what men could do without the ladies in response to the worries of women over trifles. The sheriff on the other hand strives to please the lawyer by explaining the details of his actions right from the start of the drama. In the course of the investigation, the two women came across things that were considered insignificant to the invest igator but to the realization of the women, were the very important information the investigators were looking for to show the motive or cause of the murder. When the two women were left to themselves to find things for Mrs. Wright who requested some specific things she wanted fetched for her self, they found her sewing basket that revealed in part the evidences the count attorney and sheriff wanted to find out.

Eminem is Right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eminem is Right - Essay Example The analysis presented by the author strikes a chord and there is no denying the fact that music is becoming more and more oriented towards violence and disdain for authority. While the music of previous generations’ signalled rebellion from parental and other forms of overbearing authority, the music of the current generation signals rebellion from absentee parenthood and its consequences. Not only are more and more children finding themselves caught in the middle due to parental differences but more and more children are turning to drugs and juvenile crime as a means of satisfying their selves. The growth of drug abuse is substantiated by statistics on death specially suicide by young adults. Similarly juvenile delinquency is claiming an increasing number of children and young adults with crime rates increasing across the nation. The once conceived notions of crime in the ghettos and less privileged section of town and suburbs is giving way to increasing crime in the well to do and affluent neighbourhoods. The devolution of the family system in urban America following decades of technological progress and the rise of materialistic ideology is partly to blame for these changes. As more and more families are breaking up by parents who cannot tolerate each other, the real victims are the children. When a family breaks up the adults are often in a position to handle the emotional trauma inflicted by such a change. However the children are often not in a position to handle the emotional trauma of parental breakup. This phenomenon is often exacerbated with both parents disowning the child as a responsibility. In case that the child is adopted by either parent, there are still large chances for uneven childhood to result. The child is often taken care of by the mothers who are forced to find jobs to manage their fiscal expenses. An estimate puts the number of single parent mothers under the poverty line at 40% of the total population beneath the poverty line in America. This forces single mothers to look for two or more jobs to facilitate the financial position. Moreover such mothers also try to look for support in other men such as boyfriends who often take advantage of such women’s situations and abandon them when they desire. The child is still prone to a damaged childhood as a result of these experiences and the resulting despair is often made up by music that reflects these themes. The large numbers of albums and tracks with similar themes being sold in ever increasing numbers indicates that there is a large swath of the population to support such purchases. These segments of the population are often disadvantaged and disenchanted teenagers and young adults who are looking for solace in music. Most of the tracks by such musicians cover the themes of broken homes and the resulting emotional trauma to a very large extent. Moreover most musicians provide a way out for most of these kids by ending their songs with lyrics of enco uragement or success. The underlying hope created by these lyrics compels most teenagers to listen to such music and as such there seems little harm in listening to messages of hope and success. However what most musicians do to make their â€Å"popular appeal† ever greater is to include anti social behaviour and deviant trends such as drug use,

Branding, Pricing, and Distribution Research Paper

Branding, Pricing, and Distribution - Research Paper Example Establish a complete trucking business The company must work its way towards becoming a complete trucking business which includes a range of long-haul trucks and trucks which can carry different types of business. Then the company will be able to tap into consumer segment previously unapproached. Establish independent status They must become independent of their own like having their own fleet of trucks to carry the equipments. They must have their own drivers without having any contracted services. Global product branding Strategy Herb Holden Trucking Inc. needs to increase its presence around the globe. Hence they must look at the consumer segment where they want to tap into. Then they will be able to isolate the types of equipments which they will need to serve the consumer. They must make an agreement with the customs department and various officials of the country so that no restriction comes while carrying out their business. Answer 2 Pricing Strategy Herb Holden Trucking Inc. ... They can also go for vertical integration with other firms. This will significantly reduce the overhead and management costs associated with it. With this they might also be able to get lower transaction costs. They must also look for quicker routing time by the trucks so that per day income will increase along with the increase in efficiency. The must also take a look at the maintenance cost associated with the fleet of trucks and try to keep the trucks maintenance twice every year to increase their operational efficiency. They should also take care of the buildings, office etc. to reduce their cost. They must buy trucks that give higher mileage compared to other trucks to increase profitability. They can reduce the total transport cost by reducing the product volumes and doing unnecessary packaging, and rely more on the local products instead. Answer 3 Pricing strategy will help in reducing the cost of operation which the company will face in the due course of their work. By bringi ng down the cost they will be able to buy more number of fleets to augment their business strategy. With lower cost to operate they will be able to spend more on branding activities like promotion. Hence they will be able to deliver to their clients the equipments they want more quickly as compared to others. Again they can reach out to a larger number of customers through their increased fleet base. This will deliver a sense of customer satisfaction (Konings, 2008). By doing vertical integration with other firms in the same line of business they will be able to increase their market share and hence reach out to large number of customers. With vertical integration both the management will be able to formulate strategies which will serve both

Write a case study on a small group, community, or organization

Write a on a small group, community, or organization - Case Study Example The paper is a comprehensive explanation of the mode of interaction between the American Indians and the rest of Americans. The American Indians are the indigenous inhabitants in the United States of America. They are distinct from the rest of the Americans because they preserve their traditions and are not easily influenced by the modern technology. California in 2000 had the largest population of American Indians. The census report of that year indicated that there were 628,000 American Indians in total. The American Indians are composed of numerous distinct tribes and ethnic groups whose migration happened over thousands of years ago. It involved different groups which are usually referred to as Native Americans or the American Indian. These people crossed over from Asia through a frozen land bridge to the modern day Russia which was by then still part of northern America. They later migrated to Alaska as the ice began to decline thus making them move even further to the southern part. These migrants eventually settled in the modern days United States. Due to their conservative nature, American Indians are regarded as uncivilized by majority of the rest of Americans. But they value their practices since they attach them to identity and unity symbols. Just like all the other communities, they adhere to various social concepts and theories. This is because they have to interact with the rest of the Americans thus making them venerable to internal and external influences. The social concepts and theories apply in various levels and aspects of the American Indians’ lives just like in other social units. Amongst the theories affecting American Indians is the conflict theory. The theory argues that in any society, people do not coexist in pursuit of equilibrium where everybody receives an equal share of resources. It further states that people live competitively with everyone trying to outdo the other with the weakest

Pathophysiology of Why at High Risk of Infection Research Paper

Pathophysiology of Why at High Risk of Infection - Research Paper Example of concurrent or previous treatments like radiation and/or steroids are both variables that can raise the probability of contracting an infection and may exacerbate any that come to exist. Additionally, the patient has an increased risk of infection due to having diabetes, and even the anxiety he experiences about the procedure can negatively impact the body. All of the factors described above can contribute to the compromising of the immune system and the subsequent colonization of infectious organisms. Post-operative influences are also important in the assessment of Mr. Baker’s risk for contracting an infection. Though incompetence is far from a certainty, the inexperience of the patient’s assigned nurse may increase the risk of infection. Perhaps more obvious is the threat of infection arising from the use of several invasive instruments during the post-operative care period. IVs, PCA punts, nasogastric tubes, and nasal cannulas are all valuable tools but they can also provide both entry points for infections as well as locations for microorganisms to amass. Direct entry is provided in every IV and PCA situation because puncturing the skin is necessary in both cases. In contrast, nasogastric tubes and cannulas are ideally meant to be implemented without tissue penetration, but scratches and cuts are practically unavoidable, especially in an

Limitations of the balanced scorecard Essay Example for Free

Limitations of the balanced scorecard Essay As any other management innovation the balanced scorecard faces certain challenges as it attempt to break away from traditional approaches of management. For one it is difficult to implement a balanced scorecard system in large organizations such as Intel as it requires solvating for support from fellow mangers. Additionally, commitment and cooperation from project managers is fundamental to the success of comprehensive balanced scorecard. This process is both times consuming and tedious. More to that, resistance from managers due to and fear of the unknown is also a challenge to implementing a balance scorecard, thus, top-level managers may be reluctant to give adequate funding to implement a balanced scorecard management system. However despite the challenges associate with implementing balanced scorecards the benefits derived are worth the effort of trying. A balanced scorecard can transform strategic objectives to flow logical resources of performances. This will ensure that the organization efforts are aligned with mission statements and the employees’ investors and customers’ needs are catered for. The first requirement in designing a balanced scorecard is detailing the objectives of the company depending on what is desired at the given moment. .( Bain Company, 2002, Stewart, 2000) These objectives should be in view of the how the customers see Intel, what Intel focuses to excel at, how the company may continue to be innovative in creating value, and how the company intends to change the shareholder perspective of the company (Dickinson, 2003). The second step in designing the balanced scorecard is to describe the strategy that Intel wants to implement say better manage the intangible assets of the company or ensure that quality products are supplied to customers in time and in right quantities. The other step is to align the internal processes of the organization with strategy. In this case, we will be looking at what the company can excel in or what it is good at and capitalize in it while pulling efforts to low performing processes. The next step will be to assign duties to every individual job. Positive impacts of BSC According to the survey conducted by Bain Consulting Company, companies that implement a balanced scorecard in their management system reported higher assets turnover, reduction in indebtedness, elevated margins as well as high inventory turnover (Oorschot, 2002, Norton, 2001). Since balanced scorecards clarify organizations strategies to individuals in the organization, employees at Intel will be more inclined and committed to achieving the goals hence translating to higher profit margins for Intel. Moreover, Intel will be in a position to track financial loopholes within the organization and develop measures to seal the loopholes. This in turn will lead to reduced debts and better allocations of funds. Scorecards provide immediate feedback to managers who measure the performance outcome against visions and missions set. By adopting a balanced scorecard, Intel will be in a position to improve its strategies periodically following occasional review that balance scorecards provider. Implementing a balanced scorecard at Intel will ensure that attention is equally accorded to other issues, save financial ones, such as human issues, and provide metrics that force the company to act for the greater good of the company. In the end, success for the company is guaranteed. The balance scorecard institute puts the major consideration of designing and implementing a balance scorecard into perspective by saying, â€Å"A major consideration in performance improvement involves the creation and use of performance measures or indicators. Performance measures or indicators are measurable characteristics of products, services, processes, and operations the company uses to track and improve performance. The measures or indicators should be selected to best represent the factors that lead to improved customer, operational, and financial performance. A comprehensive set of measures or indicators tied to customer and/or company performance requirements represents a clear basis for aligning all activities with the companys goals. Through the analysis of data from the tracking processes, the measures or indicators themselves may be evaluated and changed to better support such goals. † (Arveson, 1998) Balanced scorecards are performance management tools and Intel Company could benefit from measuring the performance of the company now and in future. Unlike before, where it was not possible to gauge the health of the business, and thereby not know the future standing of the business, implementing a balanced scorecard will ensure that indicators point out whether the company is headed for and develop mitigation efforts to prevent this. Another benefit of a balanced score cared is that its use is compatible with other existing management systems. EVA, SVA, EFQM, IAM and Business excellence model, can be linked to balanced scorecards. If the management feels uneasy to drop all the other financial measures. Normally balanced scorecard is at the center of the management systems since it s easy to use mechanism.

Buying decision process and Sony overview

Buying decision process and Sony overview Sony was founded in 1946 in Tokyo to be a new revolution in the world of communications and technology, was able to progress throughout her career innovative products added all the new and useful to the lives of millions of people, Sony is one of the best companies in the worlds leading manufacturer of Audio Video In addition to excellence in the areas of technology and development of industry computer laptops and mobile phones It is well known for many fans and viewers of the technical world of electronics Since it was founded in May 1946 and to this day continues to Sony in its bid submission to the infinite and well-being and comfort of all categories of consumers through a variety of high-quality products. We may need a lot of pages to talk about Sony and its history of achievements, which had said the welfare of peoples lives But the company is well known by its fans and clients and its products is almost devoid of any where in the house Acquire products and all categories of people and on a different level of consumer In this report we will learn on one of the excellent products, which is a high-quality TV set in terms of purity and clarity of image and sound What makes this product the perfect choice for those who wish to enjoy watching favorite programs with all the comfort that it is not only a high quality product in terms of the characteristics contained in But several of the most important aspects of it available to consumers at a competitive price is almost unmatched by any other product on the market And where the decision to purchase is the most important decisions of interest to any organization interested in studying the market and the marketing of their products we will discuss in some important details about. INTRODUCTION TO SONY TV SET This offer is available at all Sony stores, and customers would enjoy 10% discount if they buy online from our web site www.sony.com Also we offer free delivering and one year guarantee Facilities for payment by installments with the possibility of payment in installments over two years 60 inch LX900 Series 3D Full HD BRAVIA LCD TV High frame rate LCDs with a frame sequential display, Sony makes it possible to watch Full HD 3D quality video on 3D compatible BRAVIA LCD TVs. This technology involves alternately transmitting images for the left eye and right eye to the screen. When viewed through the active shutter glasses, the two separate images on the shutter glasses are synchronized with the onscreen image with their Full HD quality intact and precisely transmitted to the viewers eyes. The high-quality super-fine Full HD 3D images deliver unprecedented reality and presence. This offer includes loudspeakers and a DVD Player which makes the user feels Like a home cinema Features: LCD size: 60(152cm), 16:9 TV system: digital: dvb-t analog Display resolution: full HD 1080 (1920 x 1080) Buyer behavior decision-making process How do customers buy? Customers go through a five-stage decision-making process in any purchase. This is summarized in the diagram below: This model is important for anyone making marketing decisions. It forces the marketer to consider the whole buying process rather than just the purchase decision (when it may be too late for a business to influence the choice!) The model implies that customers pass through all stages in every purchase. However, in more routine purchases, customers often skip or reverse some of the stages. For example, a student buying a favorite hamburger would recognize the need (hunger) and go right to the purchase decision, skipping information search and evaluation. However, the model is very useful when it comes to understanding any purchase that requires some thought and deliberation. The buying process starts with need recognition. At this stage, the buyer recognizes a problem or need (e.g. I am hungry, I need a new TV set, I have a headache) or responds to a marketing stimulus (e.g. you pass Sony store and are attracted by a big screen showing a football match or an action movie and). An aroused customer then needs to decide how much information (if any) is required. If the need is strong and there is a product or service that meets the need close to hand, then a purchase decision is likely to be made there and then. If not, then the process of information search begins. A customer can obtain information from several sources: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Personal sources: family, friends, neighbors etc à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Commercial sources: advertising; salespeople; retailers; dealers; packaging; point-of-sale displays à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public sources: newspapers, radio, television, consumer organizations; specialist magazines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Experiential sources: handling, examining, using the product The usefulness and influence of these sources of information will vary by product and by customer. Customers value and respect personal sources more than commercial sources (the influence of word of mouth). The challenge for the marketing team is to identify which information sources are most influential in their target markets. In the evaluation stage, the customer must choose between the alternative brands, products and services. How can the customer benefit from the information? An important determinant of the extent of evaluation is whether the customer feels involved in the product. By involvement, we mean the degree of perceived relevance and personal importance that accompanies the choice. Where a purchase is highly involving, the customer is likely to carry out extensive evaluation. High-involvement purchases include those involving high expenditure or personal risk for example buying a house, a TV set or making investments. Low involvement purchases (e.g. buying a soft drink, choosing some breakfast cereals in the supermarket) have very simple evaluation processes. Why should a marketer need to understand the customer evaluation process? The answer lies in the kind of information that the marketing team needs to provide customers in different buying situations. In high-involvement decisions, the marketer needs to provide a good deal of information about the positive consequences of buying. The sales force may need to stress the important attributes of the product, the advantages compared with the competition; and maybe even encourage trial or sampling of the product in the hope of securing the sale. Post-purchase evaluation Cognitive Dissonance The final stage is the post-purchase evaluation of the decision. It is common for customers to experience concerns after making a purchase decision. This arises from a concept that is known as cognitive dissonance. The customer, having bought a product, may feel that an alternative would have been preferable. In these circumstances that customer will not repurchase immediately, but is likely to switch brands next time. To manage the post-purchase stage, it is the job of the marketing team to persuade the potential customer that the product will satisfy his or her needs. Then after having made a purchase, the customer should be encouraged that he or she has made the right decision. Factors affecting buying decision Possible influences on the decision process Personal influences Demographic Situational Involvement Psychological influences Perception Motives Attitudes Personality Social influences Roles and family Reference groups Social classes Culture and subcultures Personal factors: Is one that is unique to a particular person? It can influence purchasing decision In this section we discuss three categories which are demographic, situational, and level of involvement factors. Demographic factors: Such as age, sex, race, ethnic, origin, income, family life-cycle, and occupation Demographic factors have a bearing on who is involved in family decision making. For example, its estimated that by 2010 the Middle East and North African countries. Will have the largest market for TV sets because of more new apartments built for old men who is getting married that means more opportunities to sell wide number of TV sets . Men with age between 25 and 35 are know to have more influence in buying decision process for furniture and other equipments when they are starting furnishing their new apartments with all Necessities. Another example is a persons age and income may affect the number and types of information sources used and the amount of time devoted to seeking information. Demographic factors also affect to which a person uses products in a specific product category. Consumers in the 20 to 45 age group are more interested in buying new technology such as this TV set with high definition image specially those who get high income they find it easy to buy a new TV set even if the old one still in a good shape or condition . Here Sony set plans how to attract those potential consumers in term of marketing mix focusing how to set prices and Situational factors: Are the external circumstances or conditions that exist when a consumer is making a purchase decision. Sometimes a consumer engages in buying decision-making as a result of unexpected situation. For example, a person may hurriedly buy a TV set to watch the world cup 2010 or owner of a coffee shop try to attract more customers by offering them watching their favorite teams in the world cup or Olympic Games just two or three days before it starts or sometimes during that occasions. Yet in other circumstances the same individual might spend many weeks shopping around for a discount or any offer available. Situational factors can influence a consumers actions during any stage of the buying process. The time available to make decision is a situational factor that strongly influences consumer buying decision. If there is a little time for selecting and purchasing the TV set, a person may make a quick choice and purchase a readily available brand. Level of involvement: Many aspects of consumer buying decisions are affected by the individuals level of involvement; it determines why he or she is motivated to seek information about this product and brand but virtually ignores others. The extensiveness of the buying decision process varies greatly with the consumers level of involvement. The sequence of the steps in this process may also be altered. Low-involvement buyers may form an attitude about this product and evaluate its features after purchasing it rather than before. Conversely, high-involvement buyers spend much time and effort researching their purchase beforehand. Such TV set is a product that undergoes a great deal of investigation before they are chosen. Psychological factors influencing the buying decision process Operating within individuals partly determine peoples general behavior and thus influence their behavior as consumers. Perception Different people perceive the same thing at the same time in different ways. Similarly, the same individual at different times may perceive the same product in a number of ways. Perception is the process information inputs are the sensations received through sight, hearing, and touch the product. Perception is a three-step process. Although consumers receive numerous pieces of information at once, only a few of them reach awareness. They select certain inputs and ignore many others because they do not have the ability to be conscious of every input at the same time. This phenomenon is sometimes called selective exposure because they select inputs that are to be exposed to their awareness. For example if they are concentrating reading this paragraph, they probably are not aware that car outside making noise, that the light is on, or that they are touching this book. Even though they are receiving these inputs, they ignore them until they are mentioned. For example a person hoping to buy this TV set is likely to watch an advertisement containing TV set information. An input is likely to reach awareness if the information helps satisfy current needs. If the intensity of an input changes significantly, the input is more likely to reach awareness. When a store manager reduces a price slightly, they may not notice because the change is not significant, but if the manager cuts the price in half, they are much more likely to recognize the reduction. Motives Is an internal energizing force that directs activities towards satisfying a need or achieving a goal. Motivation is the set of mechanisms for controlling movement toward goals. A buyers action at any time is affected by a set of motives rather than by just one. At a single point in time, some motives in the set have priority, but the priorities of motives vary from one time to another. For example, a persons motives for having this TV set when not having a TV set rather than if having an old TV set. Motivation also affects the direction and intensity of behavior. Individuals must choose which goals to pursue at a particular time. A buyer may use a particular shop because of such patronage motives as price, service, location, honesty, product variety, or friendliness of salespeople. Thats why Sony marketers should try to determine why regular customers patronize a store and then emphasis these characteristics in the stores marketing mix. The marketing department should do researching by asking group of people for example what motivates them, why they keep buying that brand even if they know that brand is not as good quality as Sony. Keep researching what motivates them by other brands and what are motives of other brands. Ability and knowledge Individuals vary in their ability, their competence and efficiency in performing tasks. One ability of inters to marketers is an individuals capacity to learn. Learning refers to changes in a persons behavior caused by information and experience. The consequence of behavior strongly influences the learning process. Behavior that results in satisfying consequences tends to be repeated. For example, when a consumer buys a TV set and likes it, he or she is more likely to advise friends or relatives to buy the same TV set with the same brand he/she bought. In fact, the individual will probably continue to purchase that brand until it longer provides satisfaction. But when the affects of the behavior are no longer satisfying, the person will switch to a different brand. This is very important for marketers in SONY Company to keep searching for reasons that makes individuals satisfied with this product related to the marketing mix. Buyers when making purchasing decisions, have to process information. Individuals have differing abilities in this regard. For example, when purchasing this TV set , a well-educated potential buyer who has experience with technology and good brands available in the market may be able to read, comprehend, and synthesis the considerable quantities of information in technical brochures for various competing brands. On the other hand, another buyer with more limited abilities may be incapable of performing this task and will have to rely on information obtained from advertisements or from a sales representative of a particular brand. Here SONY marketers should offer all informations that attract different levels of people, and choose smart advertisements that introduce the product, and its benefits. Inexperienced buyers use different types of information from more experienced shoppers who are familiar with the product and purchase situation. Inexperienced buyers use price as an indicator of quality more frequently than buyers who have some knowledge of a particular product category. So sources of information are different, while buyers with expertise are more confidence to compare and find direct information related to the product, consumers who lack expertise may seek the advice of others making a purchase or take a long a friend. Marketers should be aware of what general consumer back ground of the company and its products, while some consumers think SONY is quite expensive others believe that SONY has the best quality and so on, here SONY have to create the best tools of providing positive information and knowledge for those Attitude Refers to knowledge and positive or negative feelings about the product. The acts towards which consumers have attitudes may be tangible or intangible, living or non-living. An individual learns attitudes through experience and interaction with other people. Just as attitudes are learned, they can be also changed. An individuals attitudes remain generally stable and do not change from moment to moment. Likewise, at any one time, a persons attitudes do not all have equal impact; some are stronger than others. Consumer attitudes towards a firm and its products greatly influence the success or failure of the firms marketing strategy. When consumers have strong negative attitudes towards one or more aspects of a firms marketing practices, they may not only stop using the firms product but also urge their relatives and friends to do likewise. For example, one of SONY stores in NORTH AFRICA is was not trusted by wide range of customers because of unfair prices related to other branches in the MIDDEL EAST countries, consumers in those countries does not know that was not SONY company, so the image of SONY was affected in that area, and sales started to flow down because of that big mistake by the company who was representing SONY company in NORTH AFRICA. Marketers in SONY should always measure consumers attitudes towards prices, package design, the brand name, advertisements, salespeople, services after sale, stores locations, features of the product, and also social responsibility activities. Several methods can help gauge these attitudes. One of the simplest ways is to question people directly. Asking about the consumer satisfaction about the TV set, are they satisfied with quality and the price, knowing the feedback of consumers, and keep going determining the positive and negative points , to check the performance of all steps involved while marketing the product, trying to attract more consumers by studying their attitudes. Personality Includes all the internal traits and behaviors that make a person unique. Each persons unique personality arises from both heredity and personal experience. Personalities are typically describes as having one or more characteristics, such as compulsiveness, ambitiousness, gregariousness, dogmatism, authoritarianism, introversion, extroversion, aggressiveness, competitiveness. Here should attempt to find relationships among such characteristics and buying behavior. Even though a few links between several personality characteristics and buyer behavior have been determined, the results of many studies have been inconclusive. Some researchers see the apparently weak association between personality and buying behavior as due to unreliable measures rather than a lack of relationship. A number of marketers are convinced that a consumers personality does influence the types and brands of products purchased. For example the type TV set brand that a person buys may reflect one or more personality characteristics. At times, SONY aim advertising campaigns at general types of personalities. In doing so, they use positively valued personality characteristics, such as gregariousness, independence, or competitiveness. Most products promoted this way. Social factors influencing the buying decision process The forces that other people exert on buying behavior. Roles and family influences Every person occupies position within groups, organizations, and institutions. Associated with each position is a role. A set of actions and activities that a person in a particular position is supposed to perform, based on the expectations of both the individual and surrounding persons. Because people occupy numerous positions, they also have many roles. For example, a man may perform the roles of son, wife, father, employee or employer, civic organization member, and student in an evening class. Thus are several sets of expectations placed on each persons behavior. An individuals roles influence both general behavior and buying behavior. The demands of a persons role may be inconsistent and confusing. To illustrate, assume that the man mentioned above is thinking about buying this TV set. While he wants this TV set to enjoy watching world news or football games, his children want to watch cartoons or connect the screen to play station and play games. His wife wants him to delay the TV set purchase until next month. A colleague at work insists that he should buy a particular brand, known for high quality. Thus an individuals buying behavior is partially affected by input and opinions of family and friends. Family roles related directly to purchase decisions. The male head of household is likely to be involved heavily in the purchase of this product. Deciding if its the right time to purchase or not. Although female roles have changed, women still make buying decisions related to many household items. Husbands and wives participate jointly in the purchase of products, especially durable goods such this TV set. Some young men aged 25 to 35 who is getting married in summer season; their brand loyalty can be quite changeable. In this case marketers in SONY frequently promote for such product during holidays to catch this hard to reach group at time when they are more receptive to a promotional message. When two or more family members participate in a purchase, their roles may dictate each is responsible for performing certain tasks: initiating the idea, gathering information, deciding whether to buy this TV set, or selecting another brand. Thats why marketers need to be aware of how roles affect buying behavior. To develop a marketing mix that precisely meets the needs of the target market, and they must know not only who does the actual buying, but also what other roles influence the purchase. Because sex roles are changing so rapidly, they must ensure that information is current and accurate. Reference groups A group becomes a reference group when an individual identifies with it so much that he or she takes on many of the values, attitudes, or behavior of group members. The person who views a group as a reference group may or may not know the actual size of the group. Most people have several reference groups, such as families, friends, religious, civic, and professional organizations. A group can be negative reference group for an individual. Someone may have been a part of a specific group at one time but later rejected its values and members. One can also specifically take action to avoid a particular group. A reference group may serve as a point of comparison and a source of information for an individual. A customers behavior may change to be more in line with the actions and beliefs of a group member. For example, a person might stop buying one brand of TV set and switch to SONY on the advice of members of the reference group. Generally, the more conspicuous the product, the more likely it is that the brand decision will be reference group. This days reference groups plays a big role affecting the buying decision, specially in advertising and the way the company choose to promote for the product, it was a very successful experience when SONY do a smart advertisement for its products specially TV screens, a lot of consumers enjoyed watching the Brazilian football player RECARDO KAKA doing the advertisement, he attracted a lot of customers, even who dont watch football matches. Social classes Within all societies, people rank others into higher or lower positions of respect. This ranking results in social classes. A social class is an open group of individuals who have similar social rank. A class referred to as open because people can move into and out of it. The criteria for grouping people into classes vary from one society to another. In western countries, many factors are taken into account, including occupation, education, income, wealth, race, ethnic group, and possession. In some countries like Arabic countries, wealth and income are more important than education and occupation in determining social classes. A person is ranking someone does not necessarily apply all of societys criteria. The number and the importance of the factors chosen depend on the characteristics of the individual being ranked and the values of the person who is doing the ranking. Social class influence many aspects. For example, it affects childhood training, choice of religion, selection of occupation, and how people spend their time. Because social class has a bearing on so many aspects of a persons life, it also affect buying decisions, for example, upper-class seem to prefer luxury automobiles such as the BMW and MERCEDES-BENZ, which symbolize their status, income, and financial comfort. Thos upper-class would buy TV set with the latest technologies available which is full HD screens and 3D with 60ince size with all the accessories, they like to make it like a home cinema they might spend large amount of money to buy such a TV set. Culture and subculture Is everything in surroundings that is made by human beings. It consists of tangible items, and intangible concepts, such as education, welfare, and laws. Culture also includes the values and wide range of behaviors that are acceptable within a specific society. Are learned and passed on from one generation to the next. Culture influences buying behavior because it permeates daily lives. It determines what people wear, eat, where to live and travel. It also influences how people buy and use products and the satisfaction gained from them. While some countries spend a lot of time watching TV , others might spend much time surfing the internet, so culture determines how TV purchased and used, it in turn affects all the marketing mix, promotion, distribution, and pricing of the product. Marketing mix The Market Mix (often referred to as the 4-Ps) Refers to the unique blend of marketing Elements designed to meet the needs of the Organizations target market. The Marketing Mix consists of the organizations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Product à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Price à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Promotion à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distribution (Place) Understanding how to position the market offering Putting the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time. We already have created a TV set that is a particularly group of customers wants, now we put it on sale in a place that those same customers visit regularly, and price it at a level which matches the value they feel they get out of it; and do all that at a time they want to buy. Theres a lot of truth in this idea. However, a lot of hard work needs to go into finding out what customers want, and identifying where they do their shopping. Then we need to figure out how to produce the item at a price that represents value to them, and get it all to come together at the critical time. The marketing mix is a good place to start when we are thinking through our plans for this TV set, and it helps avoid any kind of mistakes. The marketing mix and the 4 Ps of marketing are often used as synonyms for each other. In fact, they are not necessarily the same thing. Marketing mix is a general phrase used to describe the different kinds of choices organizations have to make in the whole process of bringing a product or service to market. The 4 Ps is one way. A good way to understand the 4 Ps is by the questions that we need to ask to define marketing mix. Here are some questions that will help you understand and define each of the four elements: Product What does the customer want from the product/service? What needs does it satisfy? What features does it have to meet these needs? Are there any features weve missed out? Are we including costly features that the customer wont actually use? How and where will the customer use it? What does it look like? How will customers experience it? What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it be? What is it to be called? How is it branded? How is it differentiated versus your competitors? What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably? (See also Price, below). Place Where do buyers look for this product? If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or both? Or online? Or direct, via a catalogue? How can you access the right distribution channels? Do you need to use a sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online submissions? Or send samples to catalogue companies? What does competitors do, and how can we learn from that and/or differentiate? Price What is the value of the product to the buyer? Are there established price points for the product in this area? Is the customer price sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain extra market share? Or will a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain extra profit margin? What discounts should be offered to trade customers, or to other specific segments of your market? How will the price compare competitors? Promotion Where and when can we get across marketing messages to target market? Will we reach audience by advertising in the press, or on TV, or radio, or on billboards? By using direct marketing mail shot? On the Internet? When is the best time to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there any wider environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of market launch, or the timing of subsequent promotions? How do competitors do their promotions? And how does that influence your choice of promotional activity? The 4Ps model is just one of many marketing mix lists that have been developed over the years. And, whilst the questions listed above are the key, they are just a subset of the detailed probing that may be required to optimize marketing mix. Amongst the other marketing mix models have been developed over the years is Boom and Banters 7Ps, sometimes called the extended marketing mix, which include the first 4 Ps, plus people, processes and physical layout decisions. Another marketing mix approach is Lautenbergs 4Cs, which presents the elements of the marketing mix from the buyers, rather than the sellers, perspective. It is made up of Customer needs and wants (the equivalent of product), Cost (price), Convenience (place) and Communication (promotion). In

Behaviourist And Cognitive Approach To Learning Theories

Behaviourist And Cognitive Approach To Learning Theories The two main influential learning approaches are the behaviourist and the cognitive approach to learning theories. This report critically evaluates how learning theories are applied in the 14-19 Applied Science classroom. It examines how behaviourism, although an outdated theory, is still relevant in the modern classroom and is still used in developing the rewards and sanctions policies of the modern school. The impact of Piagets theory of cognitive development is evaluated and what possible difficulties might arise if they were applied exactly as Piaget dictated. The impact of adhering rigorously to Piaget maturational stages is criticised and how it might not be possible to adhere to set ages for progression in a school. Kolb, Vygotsky and Bruners constructivist approaches are compared and shown that, when applied to a motivated class they work as they were originally intended and yet when applied to a more disaffected class, they arent as easily applied. The science classroom is an inherently dangerous place for students to work in (Frost, Turner 2005, p.168). It is therefore necessary to instil a level of discipline in the students, to ensure they minimize the dangers to themselves and others in the science classroom. It is necessary to condition (Child 1997, pp.114-121)the students to behave when certain commands are issued. Behaviour theorists believed that the mind was a blank slate tabula rasa and that we could observe the response to stimulus that happened to an organism. Watson thought that a response is more likely to be connected to an environmental event (stimulus), if that stimulus-response is repeated regularly and with a short period of time between them (Child 1997, p.115). Thorndike showed that the student is less likely to repeat negative stimulus-responses, which therefore means that there will be an increase in the positive stimulus-responses, until a correct response is repeated regularly. The stimulus-response is then reinforced whenever a positive result is produced.(Child 1997, pp.114-121). Skinner made several conclusions from his findings in Operant Conditioning (Child 1997, pp.119-121). The steps taken in the conditioning process must be small. Regular rewards are required at the early stages, but once the conditioning is reflexive, rewards can be given less regularly. The rewards must come immediately or shortly after a positive response to ensure maximum effectiveness (feedback) (Child 1997, pp.114-121) When discussing learning theories, its necessary to mention Pavlov due to the importance held in his work, even if it doesnt really directly affect the classroom. Pavlov pioneered the idea of classical conditioning with his famous experiment where he taught dogs to salivate, when a stimulus was applied, just before food was given to them. The dogs eventually associated the ringing of the bell with the arrival of food and salivated in anticipation of the food arriving (Child 1997, pp.116-118). Pavlovs work does not directly link to teaching in the classroom, but it does apply, in that the students may be conditioned, to have a memory or a response to an event that happens within the classroom environment. During my lessons I tried to implement Watson, Thorndikes and Skinners theory of Operant Conditioning in the classroom to modify the behaviour of the class. The goal was to condition the students to reflexively stop talking when I moved to a certain area of the room; using the theory that the students would repeat behaviour that received a positive response, and not repeat behaviour that received a negative response. I initially started to modify their behaviour by moving to the left of the front desk, holding my hand up and waiting for silence in the same spot, every time I required them to stop talking and listen. Initially it was necessary to ask for silence and remind them that I was waiting to talk. In some cases it was necessary to issue a sanction as per the science departments rules of two warnings, then issuing a detention or keeping them in for part of their break if, if they didnt stop talking quickly enough. If the class stopped talking quickly, they would be rewarded wit h praise and if the lesson had gone well a class reward of a game or competition at the end, if it was appropriate. Positive feedback about performance is said to have a positive effect on future performance. Skinner called it reinforcement; Thorndike called it The Law of Effect.(Child 1997, pp.115-121) McAllister et al. (1969) found that praising students not only acted as a positive reinforcement of behaviour, but that the praise may have also worked by causing peer group pressure in the class to reduce inappropriate behaviour, because the negative behaviour reflected on the class as a whole (McAllister et al. 1969). Banduras Social Learning Theory would say that the students were not only being conditioned to respond to the teacher, but also learning from their peers actions as to what was appropriate behaviour in the classroom.(Atherton 2009) By the end of the six weeks, the students were starting to respond to the successive approximation as described by Skinner (Child 1997, p.121)positively and required reminding less that I was waiting to talk to them. It was evident that they much preferred the positive response of listening and being allowed to continue with whatever activity I had planned, to the negative response of not listening and receiving a sanction, before continuing with the activity I had planned. It could be said that they were suffering from Learned Helplessness (Atherton 2009a)and had given up on being able to change the lesson by negative behaviour. Due to the need to provide a safe working environment in the classroom, I also worked on the class responding to the command STOP when they were carrying out laboratory work. The idea being that if STOP was said loudly to the whole class, that they automatically stop what they are doing, stop talking, turn to where the teacher is in the classroom and prepare for instructions that are important or safety related. In the early stages of conditioning, continuous reinforcement is needed to establish the Stimulus-Response link.(Child 1997, p.119) The difficulties whilst trying to implement these theories was down to the amount of time involved in getting the students responding to the stimulus positively. The theory of being able to reward the students for responding positively and sanction them if they dont isnt appropriate in this situation, due to the serious nature of the command. If the students dont respond to it, it could ultimately end up with dire consequences in an emergency situation. The STOP command in particular was a difficult one to implement due to its infrequent use and the seriousness of its use that was implied to the students. If the command was overused, then it would lose its importance as something serious, but on the other hand if it wasnt practiced enough, the students would not respond appropriately when the command was issued. Another interesting situation that arose was from the attention-monopolising students, in that the more demanding students are prepared to put up with the minor inconvenience of the negative reinforcement if they get the attention time from the teacher. (McAllister et al. 1969) Seeing the students more frequently, I am sure that they could be conditioned quicker and show the innate response more readily than when I was only able to see them a few times a week. Behaviourism is evidently still relevant in the modern school (McQuillan 1998), even if it is a somewhat outdated theory. Schools still have their sanctions policies based around Operant Conditioning and negative reinforcement with various levels of warnings and detentions in place for negative behaviour. This will remain effective for as long as policy makers allow these sanctions to be used. However, Skinners belief that we are all blank slates and what goes on inside our black boxes (Child 1997, pp.119-121) when we learn is not important, is not relevant anymore.(Child 1997, pp.113-121) The students I have worked with and taught are all very unique in their personalities and show completely different ways of learning. To say that the learning processes they go through are only related to external stimulus and their response to that stimulus does not correlate with what has been observed in the classroom. Constructivist Theory has played a big part in the current educational environment in schools. Driver and Easley introduced constructivism as it is known now to the science community in 1978. (Solomon 1994, p.3)They stated what was previously an inaccessible theory for science, accessible to the scientific educational community. The 14-19 classroom allows us to look at how Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development is applied. Piaget observed that children go through four distinct stages of cognitive maturation (Burton 2001, pp.237-239) Stages of Cognitive Development (Atherton 2009b) In the 14-19 classroom, according to Piagets theory, all the students have reached the Formal Operational stage of cognitive development and are capable of developing hypothetical situations and understand abstract concepts. Students should be able to apply their understanding of a situation and in theory be able to hypothesise what would happen in a given event. (Child 1997, pp.191-207) From experience it is clear that not all students reach the Formal Operation stage at the same time and in fact the 11 year and up boundary is not as clear cut as that (Child 1997, p.202-203). Within my Year 9 KS3 classes the majority of the students were at the Formal Operation stage of development and were capable of taking an abstract idea, such as levers and moment of a force and applying their knowledge and understanding to derive the equation for calculating the moment of a force themselves. A complex operation that required the students to both assimilate and accommodate (Child 1997, p.192) the new information they were processing, a task which some found difficult, but all were able to eventually complete. With the Year 10 Applied Science class only a small portion of the class were at the point where they could process abstract information or make a hypothesis. Unlike the year nine class they had to be walked through every new concept step by step (Burton, 2001 p241). When they were given the task of hypothesising why something had happened, for example, where did the glowing light from heated calcium carbonate come from, they were unable to comprehend that the glowing was not related to the heating itself, but was actually an endothermic reaction. Even with a step by step explanation and clearly showing how the reaction was occurring, only a small portion of the class were able to assimilate and accommodate the schema. Teaching at middle and upper school level should begin from concrete considerations, building up, where applicable, to more abstract reasoning.'(Child 1997, p.203). Piagets theory of distinct maturational stages poses an interesting problem for teachers and educational authorities. Should a student be moved into a more advanced class or year because of their age, or should they move up a level when they reach a stage in their learning ability? From experience with the two different classes, its quite apparent that these boundaries are not as clear as Piaget was led to believe. If a school was to teach students based on their stage of cognitive development; how long could a student be held back for, before the age gap between their classmates was too much? Some students may after all never reach the Formal Operations stage. Vygotskys theory says that the childs higher mental processes are developed through the child working with other more knowledgeable persons than themselves.(Kozulin 2003, p.19). He theorised that there was a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) that was the boundary between a childs Zone of Actual Performance and their potential level of understanding. The child can access their ZPD with the assistance of a more competent (Kozulin 2003, p.20) person guiding them.(Chaiklin 2003, p.43) Vygotskys Social Constructivist theory moved away from the didactic approach of teaching, which often led to students developing their own misconceptions and not being able to apply their scientific knowledge flexibly to new situations (Karpov 2003, pp.67-73), to a more socially guided, active approach to learning, where students learnt from their teacher, peers and themselves. Kolbs four stage experiential learning cycle, is similar to both Vygotskys theory of a ZPD and Bruners theory of scaffolding the learning. Kolbs cycle builds on the learners concrete experience and goes through three distinct stages, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation, before returning to the now new concrete experience,.(Burton 2001, p.246) Similarly Bruner theorised that students built on their past experiences and that by applying a spiral curriculum, they would able to return to subject areas and build on them when they were more capable of dealing with the more complex areas of the curriculum. He saw the teacher as a guide, leading the student through the learning process by scaffolding their learning with appropriate material and as the student progressed less scaffolding is required.(Burton 2001, p.241) When applying these theories it is important to be aware that students are all at different stages of learning. Some students have a more advanced understanding, which puts them in a completely different ZPD, concrete experience or stage in their scaffolded learning, to students who have a lower level of understanding. With the KS3 class the students were all in the 5-7 range for target grades, therefore it was a lot easier to plan how they were going to progress in the lesson. A clear understanding of where they were in relation to their ZPD or their concrete knowledge was available and it was therefore a lot clearer, what was required to get them to a new Zone of Actual Performance or to the next stage in Kolbs cycle. They had all reached Piagets formal operation stage and were able to develop their knowledge independently. With the GCSE Applied Science class it wasnt as easy to apply the theories. The students target grades ranged from G-A., therefore ascertaining where their concrete knowledge lay or where they were in their Zone of Actual Performance was quite challenging. Such a large spread of stages meant it was often necessary to take a didactic approach to try and provide a basic foundation level of knowledge for the lower attaining students, so that they could access the lesson. In some cases students were never able to access the lesson due to their complete disaffection from the subject or school in general. Most of the class had not reached the formal operation stage and some struggled in the concrete operational stage at times. A good example being when one of the students struggled with the concept of limestone having nothing to do with the fruit. Finding the middle ground, where the higher attaining students wouldnt be bored waiting for the lower attaining students to get on task or understand what to do was extremely challenging, and at some points, felt completely pointless trying to apply social constructivist theory to the lesson planning with such a wide range of grades in the class was one of the key problems when trying to apply these theories to the lessons. It was however (in retrospect) interesting being able to see two different sides to how social constructivist theory is applied in the classroom. With the higher attaining, less disaffected KS3 students, it was a lot easier to see how the theories could be effectively applied to their lessons, how they benefitted from the teacher acting as a guide and their interest in the lesson meant that they were able to access it and move forward in their learning. It was always clear at which point in the learning process each students was at and what was required to move them onto the next level in the learning cycle. With the more disaffected, lower attaining students, in the GCSE Applied Science class it was so much harder to effectively apply these theories in the lesson. I tried on several occasions to teach lessons where I acted as the guide through their learning process; the students (in theory) would build on their experiential learning and move forward in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. In fact what happened was that the students panicked at the thought of not having the teacher dictating to them each step of the lesson and what they must do. The concrete experience for some was so limited that they were unable to apply it to the lesson and very quickly, if they were not given step by step instructions as to what to do next, they would be off task and cause other students to go off task as well. Therefore it seemed that the behaviourist theory, in particular Skinner, was being followed, as the positive reward was completing the step. Within the GCSE class there were several students who were classed as having Special Educational Needs (SEN), this ranged from Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) to Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. Since the revised national curriculum was brought in to effect in September 2000, these students have had the right to a place in the classroom alongside students without any SEN.(Peacey 2001) Students with SEN are to be included in the lessons and not treated as separate entities to the non-SEN students. Effectively inclusion was brought in to ensure that all students had access to exactly the same educational opportunities as other students. Too see inclusion in practice is very different to reading about it on paper though. Within the class the students suffering from Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, worked fairly diligently, and although at times they found it a struggle organising themselves for course work or in taking notes, they caused little disruption to the other students. They had the extra help required and were catered for in examinations and course work; they were effectively being included. The students who were listed as having SEBD on the other hand, would have appeared to an outsider to relish in the opportunity to be able to disrupt learning; they spent more time being removed from the class than learning itself. Yet if their backgrounds were to be looked into, it would be apparent that it was an achievement being in school that day and it was quite understandable that science was not their top priority, when they might not have even had breakfast that morning. Their inclusion in the lesson was negatively impacting on other students who were not on the SEN register and did not need to be specially included into the class to due to disruptive behaviour. This leads to the question When should a student not be included in a classroom?, which at this point in my limited experience, I am unable to answer. In conclusion, behaviourism is still always going to be prominent in the modern school as a way of leading students towards becoming more disciplined and focused in their studies, via the rewards and sanctions policies on which they are based. When applying the cognitive learning theories, it is necessary to be aware that not all of the students are going to be starting at the same level, some may well be significantly below the level of other students and are only grouped together because of their age. Therefore the materials to be taught are not necessarily going to be accessible to all of the class all of the time unless they are developed to be inclusive for all the students, which is the current aim of the government.(Peacey 2001). The only viable option would be to group classes closely by attainment level as opposed to age, which is unlikely to happen. Word Count = 3,283

Personality Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychology covers a huge field and one interesting aspect of it is personality. Personality by itself involves various issues. Some aspects are Psychoanalytic, Ego, Biological, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Trait, and Humanistic. Different types of behaviors are amazing to learn about, mainly the behavior therapy, collective behavior, crime and punishment, and Social behavior and peer acceptance in children. I chose Behaviorism over the other aspects because I believe behavior determines human personality and is very interesting. You can tell what one is by his behavior, and one behaves according to what place he has in society. By doing this paper on Behavior, I hope to get a better understanding of, if behavior develops a personality or if personality guides behavior. I also see behaviorism helping me in the future with my personal and professional career by understanding human personality and behavior better than I do. No matter what your major is , if you can determine one's personality by his behavior you can really get your work done from that person and understand the better than you would otherwise. This person could be your employee or your employer. Behavior Therapy Behavior therapy is the application of experimentally derived principles of learning to the treatment of psychological disorders. The concept derives primarily from work of Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov. Behavior-therapy techniques differ from psychiatric methods, particularly psychoanalysis, in that they are predominately symptom (behavior) oriented and shows little or no concern for unconscious processes, achieving new insight, or effecting fundamental personality change. The U.S. psychologist B.F. Skinner, who worked with mental patients in a Massachusetts State hospital, popularized behavior therapy. From his work in animal learning, Skinner found that the establishment and extinction of responses can be determined by the way reinforces, or rewards, are given. The pattern of reward giving, both in time and frequency, is known as a schedule of reinforcement. The gradual change in behavior in approximation of the desired result is known as shaping. More recent developments in behavior therapy emphasize the adaptive nature of cognitive processes. Behavior-therapy techniques have been applied with some success to such disturbances as enuresis (bed-wetting), tics, phobias, stutteri... ...nvolving children to learn social acceptance showed us clearly how one behaves makes him what he is. I believe the same for adults. I believe if one behaves in a certain way for a long time, not only society with believe you are what you are behaving as but he himself will start believing he is what he is behaving as. Also I have learned to be more patient with people because I take a step in the further and think why a person would behave in a particular way. I now can see a clear difference between normal and abnormal behaviors. Benjamin, L. S. (1982). Use of structural analysis of social behavior (SASB) to guide intervention in psychotherapy. In J. C. Anchin & D. J. Kiesler (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal psychotherapy (pp. 190-212). New York: Pergamon. Benis A.M. Toward Self & Sanity: On the Genetic Origins of the Human Character. Psychological Dimensions Publishers, New York, 1985 http://pmc.psych.nwu.edu/personality.html Carson, R. C. (1969). Interaction concepts of personality. Chicago: Aldine Gurtman, M. B. (1992b). Trust, distrust, and interpersonal problems: A circumplex analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 989-1002.

Essay --

Kirt Achenbach SOC 168 Exam #2 Question #1 a) Conley doesn’t think that African Americans private property doesn’t fit well in America’s meritocracy because it’s not worth much. There aren’t many things that poor African American families own that give them weight in the wealth department. As far as the ethos side of things African Americans that live in poor areas have this negative serotype that goes along with them, that hurts them bridge the gap between black and whites. So when you are an African American family that’s not very well off chances is that the private property that you own isn’t worth much, which in turn doesn’t give you very much net worth. b) African American finds it hard to purchase a home in a racially integrated Neighborhood because the housing values are higher in these areas. When there is a mixture of black and whites there seems to be an increase in housing costs. Once there are African Americans moving into these areas the market begins to go down and interest in these properties begin to drop and real-estate values go down. Once this happens to people, in particular white people, begin to move out because they don’t want to lose money. When that happens then the neighborhood completely tips and integration stops. Conley talks about a way to keep this from happening by introducing Integration Insurance, which would insure against any price changes or any devaluation in the real estate as a result of racial composition. c) Conley says that African American are much less likely to invest their money in the stock market, an those who do will generally get less of a return on their money because they started out with less. He also says that given the run in recent stock market prices that if blacks were... ...n the policy areas of the book. She believes that some of his explanations of statistical results â€Å"lack luster†. For example Conley says that being a female has a significant and detrimental effect on employment, hours worked, and wages. Hargis argues is point and that Conley fails to fully address how women’s disadvantage position in a workplace contributes to the family’s ability to accumulate wealth. She also says â€Å"And when Conley finds that African Americans work fewer hours, yet make higher wages than similarly placed full-time-employed whites, he tries to reconcile these seemingly incongruent findings in the simplest of terms†(www.h-net.org). She is basically saying the Conley hasn’t looked at all the scenarios in which African Americans make money, and he insinuates that African Americans money disadvantages is a direct result of affirmative action policies.

Models of Organized Crime Executive Summary Essay

The difference between the patron-client and bureaucratic model is based on who is appointed the leader. The organization is based on trust and loyalty similar to the family. The main role as a patron-client is to show leadership by providing financial assistance and safety for the client. The client returns the favor by acting out different duties coming from the patron. The patron-client has the advantage because they are the sole providers for all communication for the client. Income is providing from executing from murders, thefts, frauds and drug trafficking. The patron client dominates a particular location for his organization. The group is also connected with police officers who are specialized in criminal operatives. The bureaucratic model is more focus on setting goals. Bureaucratic have a higher clientele but are selective with who is inducted into their group. All orders come from the boss in order to execute the next chain of events. The most important operation in the business is hierarchy. In order for the plan to be successful, all members must fully understand their role. This process is crucial for the structure to the organization and the members. The members must be able to carry out the task. If a step was missed by a member, they will eliminate from the project. The organization cannot afford for their hard work to be flush down the drain because an associate could not be trusted. Weber’s and Taylor’s models of the bureaucratic theory are most effective when used for larger events. Once a plan is started the bureaucratic should be introduced in order to control all lines of communication and any rules that were initially set. The patron-client is more decentralized and does not require control over unit members. Parton-clients are more favorable in social networks because there not fully involved with the plan. Bureaucratic model are vulnerable to cops  because upper management is stricter. The patron-client provides information for the job. For instance, the investigator will provide the client information so the whereabouts will not be an issue making the job easier to perform. In conclusion, each model has its expression of criminal cooperation with different socioeconomic conditions and law enforcement strategies to avoid media attention. Crime groups are broken down into different characteristics. Members of organized crime groups normally attack public officials and law enforcement agents. . Understanding organized crime is important because it gives the government the ability to know how they work so can be bought to a stop. References Connor, O. (2012). Organized Crime Investigation. Retrieved from http:// http://www.drtomoconnor.com/3220lect07a.htm/ Mallory, S. (2007). Understanding Organized Crime. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers

Gender in The Storm, by Kate Chopin Essay

Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Storm,† is a story about adultery, focused on a housewife by the name of Calixta, who is expected to undertake household chores as the principal goal of her everyday life. The woman had had a flirtation with Alcee years before the story took place. Chopin informs the reader about the current situation between Calixta and Alcee: â€Å"She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone† – certainly for the reason that the woman was not expected to see a man who was not her husband very often, and by herself. The woman has suppressed emotions and passions for Alcee, who too is married to another. The fact that she has suppressed emotions is revealed by her unspoken permission granted to Alcee to have a sexual encounter with her. She does not resist the encounter. However, being a man, Alcee is the one who begins to touch the woman as a way to start the sexual encounter. The woman responds with â€Å"generous abundance of her passion (Chopin). † At the same time, Calixta’s husband is at the general store where he probably went to fetch viands for the household and has been stopped by the storm. Thus, the story uses gender to inform the reader about perceived gender roles during the time it was written. As mandated by her gender role, it is perfectly normal for Calixta, a housewife, to be engrossed in housework while her husband is out. She is sewing a cotton sheet and involved in other household tasks when the storm arrives. She is airing out her husband, Bobinot’s Sunday clothing on the porch. Her husband is visiting the general store with their son, Bibi, because he is expected to purchase goods for the household, being the man of the family and the breadwinner who must keep account of the household purchases and buy only that which his family truly needs. If Calixta had gone to the general store instead, perhaps she would have spent indiscriminately and unwisely. Thus, men and women have different roles to play in â€Å"The Storm. † When Alcee arrives at Calixta’s doorstep to seek shelter from the storm, it appears as though the woman had been sleeping through her housework. Chopin writes: â€Å"His voice and her own startled her as if from a trance†¦. † What is more, the woman has been so focused on her housework that she begins talking excitedly about her work at first. She also talks about preparing her house for the storm. It is her responsibility, after all, to stay in charge of the entire household while the man of the house is away. Hence, she has to gather up the cotton sheet she had been sewing before the arrival of Alcee. With no housework left between the man and the woman, they are prepared to play their gender roles in a sexual encounter. When Alcee grabs the woman close to himself, Chopin describes Calixta’s first reaction thus: â€Å"Bonte! She cried, releasing herself from his arms encircling arms and retreating to the window†¦ If I only knew were Bibi was! † After remembering for a brief moment her marital role that demands her to stay faithful to her husband in her sex life, through which she gave birth to Bibi, Calixta easily submits to Alcee’s sexual move. As a man, Alcee was required to make the first sexual move. As a woman, Calixta had to submit because she desired the man. Furthermore, as a woman she was required by the perception of her gender to try modesty at first by resisting the sexual move. Once she has stopped resisting a sexual encounter with Alcee, Calixta gives in to the experience by thoroughly enjoying her sexual role just as Alcee takes great pleasure in his. After the sexual encounter and the storm, Alcee leaves Calixta’s house, and both appear happy as they smile through their respective gender roles, which apparently have been played rather well and would continue to do so. When Calixta’s husband returns home, she pretends as though nothing extraordinary has happened. Things get back to normal. Calixta never thinks about relating the experience to her husband. As a woman, she cannot dream of discussing the experience with her husband. Alcee, on the other hand, returns to his own house to write a letter to his wife stating that he is enjoying himself very much, and she too must enjoy her vacation. As a husband, Alcee is required to keep in touch with his wife, informing her about his state so as to touch base. Like Calixta, Alcee also does not mention to his spouse that he had had a sexual encounter with another. Rather, both the man and the woman are required to stay faithful to their spouses. Gender roles are fixed, and so both Calixta and Alcee are expected to continue playing their gender roles in their marriages as well as in society after their adulterous encounter. Neither is expected to share with society any information about the adulterous encounter, because society does not tolerate the breaking of marital norms. Moreover, Calixta is expected to continue being engrossed in her household chores, and sleeping through them when she must. Bobinot and Alcee, on the other hand, are expected to continuing fending for their families, and going to general stores to purchase household goods. When Bibi grows up, he too is expected to behave like Bobinot and Alcee – the breadwinners of their families. Thus, gender roles would not depart from society during the time of â€Å"The Storm. † Works Cited Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Storm. † 1898. 20 Oct. 2007. .