Stammering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Stammering - Essay Example This paper examines the causes, symptoms, effects of stammering and methods of treating and managing the condition. Causes of stammer Researchers have studied stammering for a long period but a lot of information about the disorder remains relatively unknown. However, research studies indicate that the condition is caused by a combination of several factors, including developmental and environmental factors. From these contributing factors, the causes of the disorder are classified into two groups namely developmental and acquired. The beginning of developmental stammering is during early childhood and it progresses to the adulthood. Normally 20 percent of children are affected by developmental stammering from the age of about two and half months. During this age, most children are learning about speech and language skills (Bogue, 2005). Developmental stammering is the most common type and it is normally characterized by repetition of syllable or words. These signs are accompanied by other secondary symptoms including observable physical tensions while speaking. As the child develops into adulthood, he or she may start avoiding people or situations that require verbal communication. However, many young children are not cognizant about their speech disruptions. Children who develop the condition early may experience various patterns of stammering. In most situations, the speech disruption is in two episodes, occurring in sequences of stammering followed by periods of relative speech fluency (Bogue, 2005). Developmental stammering is easy to manage and most patients recover from the condition. However, in other situations, the affected children encounter much more difficulties while speaking as stuttering develops into an advanced stage. In such children, the initial relaxed stammering develops into a more tense and repetitive speech disruption accompanied by pauses and speech prolongations (Bogue, 2005). According to Lewis (1902), the development of stammering i n children could be influenced by environmental factors such as parenting of the affected child. Exerting intense pressure on the affected child in order to acquire normal speech increases development of stammering, because it undermines the confidence of the child (SFA, 2000). In addition, unregulated speech correction techniques applied by guardians make the affected child to become more anxious and fearful, which are some of the factors that accelerate the development of more chronic stammering (SFA, 2000). As the child grows older, secondary stammering symptoms become evident. These include avoiding social contact and situation requiring verbal communication, rapid blinking of the eyes and trembling of lips. Other behavioral symptoms that develop after the child becomes cognizant of stammering condition include phobia of sounds, people and situations that involve talking. The secondary reactions to stammering become more evident in adolescence and early adulthood causing a lot o f humiliation, shame and disappointment to the affected persons. In rare situations, adults with normal speech ability acquire language impairments, which lead to stammering (Lewis, 1902). According to NIDCD (2007), acquired stammering sometimes occur from neurological impairment, arising from medical conditions such as stroke, injury or trauma on the head, brain tumors and abuse of certain drugs. Acquired

Corruption of Love Within the Inncocent Essay Example for Free

Corruption of Love Within the Inncocent Essay Within the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein the concept of love is found within characters that are innocent and filled with good intentions. In all three works, love fills specified characters with joy and gratefulness towards the other characters who they claim to love. Unfortunately, the characters that experience love are only satisfied with its graces until it somehow gets corrupted. The minds of the victimized characters are filled with anger, hatred, and some with the idea of vengeance. Corruption of love within Othello, Dracula, and Frankenstein come with causes and effects. In the two works Frankenstein and Othello, both Frankenstein’s creation and Othello were in love. The creature was in love with the cottagers and Othello was in love with Desdemona. When being presented with evidence to no longer feel love towards the people they claim to admire- it causes them to hate. The corruption in the relationships of Jonathan Harker from Dracula and Victor Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein is primarily caused by the supernatural beings working against them. Frankenstein’s love (Elizabeth) is murdered by the beast he creates, and Jonathan’s love (Mina) was corrupted when she is bitten by Dracula. The effect of love being corrupted in the works Frankenstein and Dracula results with the characters to seek revenge and to stop Frankenstein’s creature and Dracula from causing more pain to humanity. As a result of the characters Othello and the monster created by Frankenstein having their love corrupted, they murder the people who they see as the motivation for all of their actions. Once these characters come to a realization of their mistakes, it is too late and they commit suicide. Thus the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein all focus on the causes and effects of love being corrupted within the innocent and how it changes its victims for the worst. The creation of Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein and Othello from the play Othello are b oth affectionate towards the ones they love. The creature loves the cottagers and Othello is in love with Desdemona. They put their loved ones on a pedestal and admire them for the many things they do. The cottagers taught the creation of Frankenstein how to socialize; how to speak, how to show affection towards others, to work with others, how to be humble, etc. By fascinating him and impressing him with the ways they lived their lives, he grew to love them without having to make a personal appearance. Othello is in love with a woman who he believes is forever loyal to him. Desdemona proves her love for Othello when she agrees to elope with him. As a token of Othello’s love, he presents Desdemona with a handkerchief that belonged to his mother. However, when the creation of Victor Frankenstein and Othello are given evidence that the ones they love are no longer worthy of their affection- their attitudes change completely and they let go of all previous feelings. Frankenstein’s creature had bad encounters with humans in the past, but from his observations of the De Lacey’s, he assumes they are different and won’t reject him. After discovering that he would undergo the same harsh treatment from his beloved cottagers as those from the other village, it is stated by the beast himself, â€Å"I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery† (125). He then changes his feelings of love towards humanity into hate, and swears to get revenge on the man who created and abandoned him to be tortured and neglected. Othello is told that his wife has been having affairs with one of his most trusted companions (Cassio). He dismisses the thought immediately and sees no threat until he is provided with visual proof from Iago. After seeing Cassio with his mother’s handkerchief, Othello perceives the innocent Desdemona as guilty. â€Å"Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she Shall not live† (4.1.172) exclaims Othello. The situation makes him so enraged that he no longer cares for her existence and he is now willing to get prepared to execute her. Therefore, the characters Othello and Frankenstein’s creation are filled with hatred and the need for vengeance once they feel that they are victims whose love has been corrupted and abused. The supernatural beings Count Dracula from the novel Dracula and the monster produced by Victor Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein work as the main forces that contribute to the corruption of the relationships of Jonathan Harker and Victor Frankenstein. Jonathan constantly shows his affection towards Mina by portraying her to be his motivation to stay alive in Dracula’s castle. Both he and his betrothed are anxious to be reunited. Growing up together, Frankenstein has always been very fond of Elizabeth. Both characters come to the conclusion that they share mutual feelings of love towards one another and decide to get married. Both couples remain happy until they have encounters with beings that have selfish intentions of destroying their relationships for their satisfaction. It is stated by Count Dracula, â€Å"Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine my creatures, to do all my bidding and to be my jackals when I want to feed† (332). The quote implies that the female characters in the novel Dracula- like Mina Harker are no longer bonded with their lovers but are enslaved by The Count. When being held under the power of Dracula, Mina is not in her right state of mind and she no longer prioritizes her love for Jonathan. Victor Frankenstein is given an ultimatum by his creature to create a companion. However, Victor is unwilling because he does not want to be responsible for more chaos that could potentially be caused. After being denied of his request, the monster threatens, â€Å"I will be with you on your wedding night† (Frankenstein, 158), and the thought alone tormented Frankenstein. On Victor’s wedding night, the words of the monster were no longer a threat, but reality. Elizabeth was found murdered in their room. Therefore, when Count Dracula bites Mina and the monster created by Frankenstein murders Elizabeth; they corrupt the love of both couples by preventing the women to love their partners back. When love is corrupted in the two works Frankenstein and Dracula, outcomes are characters who want to seek revenge and to defeat both fiends before they cause more chaos and pain. The creature created by Frankenstein has proved itself to be dangerous to humanity. At first, the people who hadpersonal encounters with him just assumed he was a threat because of his appearance. After being so tired of being rejected, the beast shows himself as someone who would kill innocent people for satisfaction. Specifically, he targets Victor’s loved ones as a punishment for creating him and abandoning him in an atmosphere that does not accept him. In the novel Dracula, The Count is seen as a hazard as well. In one of his many forms, he approaches the innocent and attacks them with a bite so he can use them for his selfish needs. After the loss of practically everyone he holds dear to him, Victor decides that he has been through enough. â€Å"I devote myself, either in my life or death to hi s destruction† (191), concluded Victor confidently. By saying so, Victor made the commitment to devote the rest of his life to finding the beast that destroyed the lives of so many innocent people. The warning, â€Å"We must either capture or kill this monster in his lair; or we must, so to speak, sterilise the earth† (261), is said to inform that it is requirement to put an end to Dracula in order to save the rest of the human race from becoming his slaves. With that being said, Van Helsing and the other male characters eagerly set out on the hunt for Dracula. Therefore, results of love being corrupted within the works Dracula and Frankenstein are the affected characters feeling obligated to avenge the death of their loved ones and destroy those who inflicted pain so they can not hurt anyone else. Committing murder is a result of corrupted love in regards to the characters Othello from the work Othello and the monster created by Frankenstein from the novel Frankenstein. The two types of murders that occur are ones directed towards people seen as the cause for feelings of being Victimized, and suicide from guilt and regret. Being persuaded that he has been betrayed by the innocent Desdemona, Othello is enraged by the idea and declares, â€Å"Yet she must die, else shell betray more men† (5.2.6). Determined to put an end to his wife, Othello does not realize that he is falsely accusing Desdemona, and is making a huge mistake by bringing her to her death bed. At first, the beast feels remorse for being responsible for personally taking two innocent lives. However, after being denied a companion, the monster of Frankenstein is filled with hatred and believes that it is essential for his creator to feel just as lonely as he does. He is not satisfied until all the loved ones in the life of Victor Cabildo Frankenstein are dead. After finally being revealed the truth about Desdemona’s innocence by Bianca, Othello is filled with shame, misery and regret. To punish himself for being responsible of destroying the love of his life, he kills himself to join her in the afterlife. Once the beast discovers the recent death of his creator he says, â€Å"What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst† (Frankenstein, 209). Feeling guilty and responsible of the situation, like Othello, the beast also decides to join the deceased by murdering himself. Therefore, the characters in the works Othello and Frankenstein who act as villains commit suicide because of the shame and regret that overwhelms their consciences when they realize they have murdered innocent people. Corruption of love in the relationships of the innocent characters in the works of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein are based on the causes and effects and how it alters its innocent targets to becoming their worst. Characters like Othello and the creation of Frankenstein freely showed their affection until they were provided with reason to express hatred. Thanks to the supernatural villains in the works Dracula and Frankenstein, love was corrupted in the relationships of Jonathan Harker and Victor Frankenstein when they could no longer approach their loved ones in the same way. When love was corrupted in the works Dracula and Frankenstein, the affected characters felt obligated to seek revenge and prevent any harm towards the rest of humanity by putting an end to the villains that posed a threat. By being affected by corrupted love, the characters Othello and the monster of Frankenstein even resorted to murdering innocent lives. Unfortunately they did not identify the mistakes that were made until it was too late. Out of guilt and shame of their actions and the villains commit suicide to join the ones they killed. With so many lives being lost throughout the three works, it can be seen as a tragedy. The love of those lost can never be expressed or brought back; and that defines the situation as turning out for the worst. Therefore, negative interferences in any shape or form contribute to the corruption of love within the innocent characters from the three works- which leads to the motivation for revenge and killing. Work Cited: Shakespeare, William. Othello New York: Washington Square Press: 1993. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein New York: Bantam: 2004. Stade, George. â€Å"Introduction†. Dracula New York: Bantam, 2006 v-xiv. Stoker, Bram. Dracula New York: Bantam: 2004.

Teen Romanance is Not Smart Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays Y

Teen Romanance is Not Smart      Ã‚  Ã‚   Do teenagers today have their priorities in the correct order when it comes to dating?   More and more often, it does not seem they do.   Some teenagers these days spend too much time focusing on their "romantic" relationships instead of the things that should be more important.   Teenagers who are in serious relationships do not care as much about school, their families, or their jobs.   These teenagers seem to forget everything that should be important to them.     Ã‚  Ã‚   School should be a very important priority for teenagers.   In high school, teachers try to prepare young people for what lies ahead in life.   That includes going off to college and entering the working world.  Ã‚   But many teenagers in serious relationships begin putting off doing their homework and studying for tests.   Their grades begin to drop, and sooner than they know it, they are failing their classes.   Most times when these lovesick teenagers begin failing, they do not care.   In some cases the teenagers even drop out.   In today's world it is nearly impossible to find a decent job without at least a high school diploma.   Without a job, a person can't get very far or have an interesting life.   Is one boy or girl really worth it?   Ã‚  Ã‚   Just graduating from high school this past June, I saw a lot of my friends go down this road.   Many of my friends were honor students through most of their years of school.   Then some of these friends met significant others their junior and senior years, and that was the end of them being honor students.   Whenever I asked my friends about their relationships, they would each give me the same story, that this was the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives ... ... keep a 4.2 grade point average and graduated fifth in my class.   This was because I kept my priorities in order.   My boyfriend came last in most situations.   He understood and accepted this.   At that point in my life I had more important things to deal with.   I managed to work, go to school, and hold down a serious relationship without getting my priorities mixed up.   So for the people who say it is impossible to do all of these things, I know from personal experience that it is not.   Ã‚  Ã‚   I am not saying that it is wrong to date as a teenager.   Just remember what is important.   The teenage years are to be used as a time to grow and experience new things, but not at the expense of what is important in life.   Just keep a level head and do not get too involved with that significant other right now.   It is important to remember what it important in life.

The History of the Computer :: Computers Technology Technological Essays

The History of the Computer "This reminds me of a revelation I had a few years ago, after getting my first CD-ROM drive. I'd manage to misplace a CD containing a multimedia encyclopedia and eventually found it sitting on the floor under my desk. I realised then that never before in human history had it been possible to lose an entire 28 volume encyclopedia by dropping it behind a piece of furniture. Now that's what I call progress!" (Computer Quotes) The information age is marked by the widespread use of the personal computer. Beginning with Ed Roberts’ first computer through to the development of the world’s fastest computer in Japan, the use of the personal computer has revolutionized our country, and in fact, our world. Although Roberts created the first computer, there were many stepping stones that led up to its conception. For instance, he negotiated with Intel to use their silicon chips. These chips were an uprising in their own creation. Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore created them. This in turn was modified to become a single-chip microprocessor. This was very important because it could be programmed, and memory could be added onto it. Thus, using Intel’s chip as a foundation, Roberts created the first computer, the Altair 8800. His company, Model Instrumentation Telemetry Systems (MITS), marketed these machines as a last hope strategy to decrease debt within the company. Little did they know that the demand for the Altair 8800 would never die down, nor that it was a great rise in modern technology. Because of the rise in interest in computers, there formed a group, Homebrew Computer Club, which discussed how to build computers. One of its members, Steve Wozniak, soon created another version of a computer, the Apple I. Other computers also built around 1977 were the IMSAI 8080, built by IMSAI, Radio Shack’s TRS-80, and the most advanced thus far that year, the Commodore PET. This machine, contrived by Commodore, had a monitor, keyboard, and cassette player, as opposed to antecedent devices, which had switchboards and lights to indicate signals. Apple soon was influenced by this computer, and decided to make their next computer, the Apple II, a more consumer-friendly machine, in 1979. Thus, it was enclosed in a plastic casing and came with a video monitor, keyboard, cassette interface (which stored data), and game paddles. It was also capable of having stored programs, or installing programs onto it.

Literature Review on Business Ethics Essay

Abstract A review of the current literature regarding business ethics was conducted analyzing scholarly peer-reviewed articles about business ethics and their relation to leadership, managerial decision making, corporate social responsibility and overall corporate structure. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Organizations are expected by their stakeholders to implement strong ethics within their corporate structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Using these guidelines will help organizations overcome the various challenges allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in in creased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. The review of the literature reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational structure. Once this flow of influence is understood, exploration is necessary to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review: Outline 1) Title Page 2) Abstract 3) Introduction a) Introduction to business ethics and why it is important in current literature. b) Themes present in literature (Thesis) Definition of ethics Ethical leadership Formal structures and regulations Benefits of business ethics 4) Overview of Business Ethics a) Definition of Ethics b) Types of Ethics i) Individualistic ii) Corporate/Business Ethics c) Managerial Ethics i) Relationship Between Laws and Ethical Standards ii) Ethical Decision Making d) Corporate Social Responsibility 5) Implementing Business Ethics Through Leadership a) Values-Based and Ethical Leadership i) Need for Value-Based/Ethical Leaders ii) Characteristics of Values-Based/Ethical Leaders iii) Role of Ethical Leadership in Business Ethics 6) Integrating Ethics Using Formal Structure and Systems a) Codes of ethics b) Programs and other policies to enforce ethical behaviors 7) Benefits of Ethical Organizations Employee Satisfaction/Productivity Increased Profits Social Status Sustainability 8) Conclusion and Recommendations Needs to be more exploration in the topic of ethical leadership Focus on understanding how ethical leadership influences corporate culture and how it flows down the corporate structure Research should attempt to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review Ethics, and particularly the role it should play in business, continues to be a topic of hot discussion in today’s society. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Over the past few decades many successful, prominent companies have collapsed due to corporate scandals, which resulted not only in the loss of jobs of many employees, but also led to large financial losses of thousands of shareholders. This cascading effect of unethical behavior by company executives led to increased expectations from all stakeholders of an organization. Stakeholders, who include employees, investors, shareholders, and customers, expect organizations to do more than just maximize the bottom line profit; organizational management is expected to accomplish this goal both legally and ethically, while also implementing some sort of program or policy that seeks to benefit society or the environm ent at large. Companies are expected to implement ethics within their organizational structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures, and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Following the implemented ethical procedures and guidelines will help organizations overcome the various ethical dilemmas and challenges, allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in increased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. A review of the current literature regarding business ethics reveals that am emphasis is placed on defining and understanding business ethics, understanding how ethical leadership is used to implement ethics into an organization, identifying how ethics are integrated into the organizational structural, and finally reviewing the benefits of operating an ethical business. Overview of Business Ethics Ethics is a complex construct. One must first understand what ethics is before understanding the important role it plays in business and leadership. The current literature offers many different definitions for ethics, which will be explored, as well as the various types of ethics and their  integrations with organizational management and policies. Definition of Ethics Merriam-Webster (2014) defines ethics as â€Å"rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.† People have varying concepts of what is considered right or wrong or good and bad. For this reason, ethics becomes difficult to define and comply with (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). Oates and Dalmau (2013) define ethics as â€Å"the body of knowledge that deals with the study of universal principles that determine right from wrong† (p. 38). Racelis (2010) further explains that ethics is different from morality in that while morality deals with the principles of right and wrong in general, ethics focuses on the standards of conduct that are generally acceptable to a large group. Therefore, it is important to note, that ethical behavior focuses on what is good for others rather than on what is good for oneself. Mihelic, Lipicnik, and Tekavcic (2010) add to this definition noting that â€Å"ethical behavior is both legally and morally acceptable to the larger community† (p. 32). Business ethics, therefore; is a branch of applied ethics as it relates to the various business activities of human beings (Keller-Krawczyk, 2010). Being able to understand and implement good ethical principles into the business setting is key to developing a strong organizational culture nurtured by ethical principles. Types of Ethics Many times when people speak or write about ethics they refer to one of two types, individual ethics and/or organizational (group) ethics. Scholars have studied both types of ethics in an attempt to understand how individual and organizational ethics intertwine and connect with one another. Accurately interpreting the relationship between the two is crucial to understanding how strong ethical values could be successfully instilled into an organization’s environment. Individualistic ethics. The concept of right and wrong is something that is instilled in individuals from the time of their birth. Individuals may learn what it right and wrong from their parents, teachers, religious  education, or life experiences. They then take what they learn and create their own personal values which help to shape and develop their individual sense of ethics. Elango, Paul, Kundu, and Paudel (2010) explain the various research works that supports the argument that an individual’s personal values and ethical standards are the main driver of a person’s intention to practice ethical behavior. The authors explain that there is strong evidence to support the theory linking an individual’s attitude toward a behavior to the actual behavior of that individual (Elango et al., 2010). Corporate/organizational ethics. Just as individuals create and develop their own ethical standards, groups of individuals may also develop a shared sense of what is considered ethical. Many literary works support the idea that the culture of an organization, including the belief systems, have a profound influence on an employee’s thinking and ultimately on his/her professional behavior (Elango et al., 2010). The ethical behavior of an organization is defined by the corporate culture. Racelis (2009) defines corporate culture as the â€Å"assumptions, beliefs, goals, knowledge and values that are shared by organizational members† (p. 252). The culture of an organization defines the behavior patterns of the employees, profoundly influencing their actions and choices in a given situation. Much research is focused on studying the relationship between corporate ethical values and an individual’s personal ethical values. Elango et al. (2010) hypothesized that employees will have greater ethical intentions if they perceive a high level of organizational ethics. The findings of the study conducted by Elango et al. (2010) indicated that there was a significant relationship between organizational ethics and an individual’s ethical intentions, supporting the notion that organizations could build an ethical business by focusing on creating a positive ethical culture. Likewise, a study conducted by Racelis (2010) also concluded that there is an interaction between individual ethical perceptions and values and the organization’s value systems, providing â€Å"evidence to the theory that an organization’s ideology and culture is indeed likely to shape decision-making and action in that organization† (p. 257). Managerial Ethics An important aspect of business ethics is managerial ethics, which refers to  the decisions, actions, and behaviors of mangers and whether they are considered right or wrong (Daft, 2013). Individuals in positions of management must make the decision every day whether or not to act in an ethical manner. As discussed earlier, deciding what is considered right or wrong ethically, is not always black and white. Many times managers find themselves pushing the limits and entering the grey area of ethics. De Cremer and de Bettignies (2013) explain that in the business environment there are many implicit expectations and norms that motivate managers and ultimately may push them to cross the boundaries and behave unethically. Many times competiveness and greed could push managers into the ethical grey area. According to De Cremer and de Bettingnies (2013), â€Å"This attitude of pushing the limits effectively clouds our own moral limits and, as a result, increases the chances that we eventually will cross the boundaries† (p. 65). Many managers believe if they are not doing anything illegal, than they are acting ethically. This is not always the case; therefore, it is important for managers to understand the difference between laws and ethical standards. Once managers have a fair understanding of what is considered appropriate ethical behavior, they can focus on making good ethical decisions for the organization. Relationship between laws and ethical standards. Keller-Krawczyk (2010) explain that laws are rules of conduct set by a governing body that either requires or prohibits individuals or businesses from performing certain actions. Failure to comply with the set laws may result in punishments such as financial penalties and/or imprisonment. As mentioned previously, it is not uncommon for individuals to believe that if they are operating within the boundaries of the law, then they are behaving ethically. Unfortunately, there are many actions that may be considered legal, but are not considered ethical. Keller-Krawczyk (2010) supports this notion stating that usury (charging high interest rates in countries that do not set a legal limit on rates) is a good example of a behavior that is legal but also considered unethical. Business managers must attempt to understand the relationship and differences between laws and ethics if they wish to help implement ethics within their organization. Managers are often times aware of the laws and regulations because they are formally written and failure to comply  with them will result in some sort of sanctioned punishment, whereas ethical standards are socially construed and failure to comply with these standards is not always punishable under state or federal sanctions. Cameron (2011) explains that ethical standards do not always serve as adequate fixed points for managers because they â€Å"often change over time and circumstance† thus they â€Å"frequently to do not remain stable because they are socially construed† (p. 30). Although laws and regulations are different than ethical standards, managers need to understand how the two can be integrated and used within their organization to help build a solid ethical foundation. Blodgett (2012) acknowledges that many philosophers and legal scholars have attempted to explain the complicated relationship that exists between laws and ethics and although it is still not easily understood, it is evident that there is indeed a connection between the two. A study conducted by Blodgett (2012) explored the idea of â€Å"substantive ethics† (an integration of law and ethics) and how it could be applied to corporate governance as well as the managerial decision-making process. This idea of substantive ethics and how it could be integrated into the formal corporate structure is discussed in greater depth later in this paper. Ethical decision making. One of the major tasks of a manger is to make decisions. The decisions they make not only reflect back on them as an individual, but on the organization as well. Oates and Dalmau (2013) point out that the decisions of managers have a far greater impact on the world today as compared to years ago since technology has allowed for the inter-connection of economies. They go on to explain that a poor decision by a manger in one part of the world can have dramatic consequences for people in another part of the world (Oates & Dalmau, 2013). It is obvious that good decision making is an important part of organizational success. What factors control or influence managerial decision making? Findings of a study conducted by Elango et al. (2010) indicate that both individual ethics and organizational ethics played a role in guiding managers into making ethical choices. This means that managers are influenced by their own ethical values and experiences as well as the ethical standards, practices and procedures discerned in their workplace. These findings were also supported by the study conducted by Racelis (2010) which indicated that an  organization’s culture plays an instrumental role in the decision making process. Oates and Dalmau (2013) explain that ethical decision making is not solely about ensuring that a manger’s decision will not have an adverse affect on others, it also requires that those in positions of management actively look to make decisions that will benefit others. Choosing to make ethical decisions on a daily basis has proven a difficult task for many managers. Managers are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas in the workplace. Mihelic et al. (2010) review various literary works regarding the topic of ethical leadership and identify an important concept stating that ethical managers â€Å"incorporate ethical dimension in the decision-making process, consider the ethical consequences of their decisions and above all try to make fair choices† (p. 33). Corporate Social Responsibility A topic that is closely related and intertwined with the concept of business ethics is corporate social responsibility (CSR). Low and Ang (2013) explain that each organization may have their own definition of CSR; however, each of the definitions seems to share common ground and themes. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2000) offers the following definition of CSR: Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. (as cited in Low & Ang, 2013, p. 33). As evident from this detailed definition, CSR plays an instrumental part in the ethical arena of a business. Benn, Todd and Pendleton (2010) theorize that although the concept of CSR is to benefit the society at large, the underlying reason for an organization to implement CSR strategies is to satisfy stakeholder expectations. The authors explain that corporate scandals, fraud and an increase awareness of environmental, social and health concerns has led many stakeholders to lose credibility in corporations (Benn et al., 2010). Low and Ang (2013) emphasize that many external stakeholders are beginning to take a more thorough interest in the activities of an organization by concentrating on not only what the company has done with its products and/or services, but also on how the company has  impacted the environment or local community. As a way to rebuild credibility and satisfy the interests of stakeholders, many organizations are using CSR strategies that seek to create a positive impact on society. Regardless of the motivation behind implementing the CSR strategies, many scholars agree that in order to implement successful CSR policies, organizations need to have a strong ethical foundation (Low & Ang, 2013; Benn et al., 2010). An empirical study conducted by Benn et al. (2010) provided strong evidence that corporate leadership and structure play an instrumental role in embedding CSR strategies and policies across the organization. Thus, since business ethics and CSR are intrinsically intertwined it is imperative that one understands how ethics and CSR could be incorporated within an organization through leadership, formal structures, and systems. Implementing Business Ethics through Leadership Now that the construct of business ethics has been defined and explained, focus needs to be placed on how leadership could be instrumental in strengthening or implementing business ethics within an organization’s culture. Just as there are several different definitions for ethics, there are also many definitions and interpretations of leadership. Noriega and Drew (2013) cite several different definitions of leadership before ultimately arriving at a generalized definition that states â€Å"leadership deals with persuading, inspiring, motivating others, and spearheading useful changes† (p. 34). Likewise, Mihelic et al. (2010) emphasize that the role of a leader is to help direct the behavior of his/her followers toward a desired goal. There are many different types and methods of leadership that allow leaders to accomplish their goals and objectives. The main focus of this paper is on value-based and ethical leadership and how these types of leadership are instrumental i n promoting ethical behavior among employees within their organization. Value-Based and Ethical Leadership Ethics had previously been described as a body of knowledge concerning itself with moral principles that govern the behavior of individuals. Leadership was defined as the act of persuading or influencing individuals toward a desired goal. Therefore, by combining these two definitions, Oates  and Dalmau (2013) derived the following simple definition for ethical leadership: â€Å"the art of helping, guiding, and influencing people to achieve a common goal in a morally acceptable way† (p. 38). Similarly, Busch and Wennes (2012) explain that value-based leadership focuses on two primary leadership dimensions: 1) ensuring the visibility and meaningfulness of values and 2) generating moral engagement within an organization. Although many scholars argue that value-based leadership and ethical leadership are synonymous, Morrison and Mujtaba (2010) review various studies that acknowledge that while the two types of leadership do tend to overlap, there are also major differences that cannot be ignored. Brown and Trevino stress that one significant difference between the two is that â€Å"ethical leadership focuses on the content of the values† while value-based leadership tends to ignore the content, focusing instead on the sharing of values between the leader and followers (as cited in Morrison & Mujtaba, 2010). Taking this into consideration it could be construed that effective ethical leaders are also influential value-based leaders that inspire and enable their followers to make the right choices and adopt the same ethical values embraced by the leader. Viinamaki (2012) supports this idea, explaining that value-based leaders carry the responsibilities of setting ethical goals and standards, rewarding those that achieve the desired outcome of ethical conduct, and penalizing anyone that strays from the set ethical values and standards. In order to comprehend the role ethical and value based leadership plays in business ethics, it is essential that one first understands why there is a need for ethical leadership and is able to identify the characteristics of an effective and influential ethical leader. Need for value-based and ethical leaders. Oates and Dalmau (2013) point out that the need for ethical leadership is most evident is situations where it is absent. Recent corporate scandals such as the collapse of Enron and Arthur Andersen has shed light on the issues of corruption, power and greed revealing that these conditions could wreak havoc on organizations that do not have strong ethical leaders. According to Noriega and Drew (2013), in today’s high-pressured business environment, organizations would find it difficult to meet daily challenges and overcome obstacles if they lacked ethical leadership. The authors explain that more attention has been  focused on ethical leadership because individuals, particularly company stakeholders, are more aware of unethical practices and seek for a way to achieve managerial accountability (Noriega & Drew, 2013). When detailing why value-based leadership was important in organizations, Viinamaki (2012) explains â€Å"values are a m eans of influencing behaviors without the need to resort to formal structures, systems, strategies, or control mechanisms† (p. 29). Characteristics of ethical leaders. There are many traits and qualities that characterize strong ethical leaders. Mihelic et al. (2010) write â€Å"a strong character plays an important role in effective self-leadership and in the process of leading others† (p. 35). The most common traits that scholars have attributed to ethical leaders are integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness (Mihelic et al., 2010; Noriega & Drew, 2013). These three traits are necessary in order to build trusting relationships with followers offering credibility and consistency. Other characteristics of ethical leaders include: responsible, fair, humble, encouraging and respectful of others, shows concern for greater good, innovative and courageous (Mihelic et al., 2010; Noriega & Drew, 2013). Mihelic et al. (2010) explain that in addition to the above characteristic traits it is crucial that ethical leaders embody the following five values: pride, patience, prudence, persistence and perspective. An ethical leader should also use values-based leadership to emphasize and strengthen these ethical values within the organizational structure. Finally, Noriega and Drew (2013) emphasize that high regard of human worth and dignity are at the core of an ethical leader’s belief system. All the decisions and actions are made in accordance with the beliefs and actions of the ethical leader. Role of ethical leadership in business ethics. By definition, leaders persuade or influence their followers toward a desired goal. One of the main goals of ethical and values-based leadership is to motivate their followers to share and embody the same ethical values that they themselves are portraying. A majority of scholars are in agreement that the ethical conduct of an organization is primarily influenced by the leaders who are also responsible for creating and enforcing the codes of conduct to be  followed by the employees (Mihelic et al., 2010). In order for ethical leadership to be successful within an organization, all leaders, especially those that hold senior leadership positions must be committed to the ethical principles they profess and more importantly they must also exemplify these principles through their own actions (Wickham & Donohue). The relationship of a leader and follower could be compared to that of a parent and a child. A child is likely to follow and imitate the actions of the parent, performing in a manner that will likely receive the parent’s approval. Parents wishing to teach their child how to behave properly will want to be a good role model for that child by modeling the desired behavior. Likewise, leaders need to be role models for their employees. Employees who see their leaders modeling the desired ethical behavior will be more likely to act in the same manner, which helps the behavior and ethical principles become a strong part of the corporate culture. Wickham and O’Donahue (2012) support this theory stating â€Å"Leadership, both formal and informal, in the firm needs to be perceived as ‘walking the walk’ as much as ‘talking the talk’ of ethical decision-making and behavior† (p. 23) with internal employees as much as external customers and stakehold ers. Integrating Ethics Using Formal Structure and Systems Creating an ethical business requires that ethics be incorporated into all aspects of the organization. Not only must leaders and employees practice ethical principles, but ethics must be built into the organizational structure. Part of implementing ethics within the organizational structure starts with making sure that ethical leadership begins at the top of the organization and then flows down through all levels of the hierarchy (Oates & Dalmau, 2013O. It was briefly mentioned earlier that a major role of an ethical leader was to enforce the code of conduct that would guide employee behavior within the organization. Creating a code of conduct that emphasizes the important ethical principles the organization wishes to portray is one of several ways ethics could be integrated into an organization. It would also prove beneficial to incorporate ethics into corporate governance laws and policies, particularly by implementing and enforcing a code of ethics. According to Oates and Dalmua (2013), it is necessary for the ethical values and standards to be â€Å"articulated in the  wider context of the organization, society, culture and regulations† (p. 40). Once a solid foundation for business ethics is laid within the structure, organizations need to make sure they implement polices and programs that will continue to help teach and enforce good ethical behavior. Corporate Structure and Ethics Oates and Dalmua (2013) also claim â€Å"Ethical leadership starts at the top, with the company’s board of directors†¦above all, it must be present in the CEO† (p. 40). This is an important notion for implementing business ethics because if ethical leadership does not start at the highest level of management and work its way down, it is highly unlikely that it would be possible to fully integrate ethics within the organizational corporate culture. In addition to instituting ethical leadership at all levels of management, an experimental study conducted by Ellman and Pezanis-Christou (2010) revealed that the decision-making structures of organizations also have a significant effect on the ethical behavior of employees. The study provided evidence to support the theory that subordinates within an organization who were given a voice in the decision making process felt more responsible for the actions of the organization and were thus more inclined to exhibit better ethical behavior than when they were not given a say in the decision-making process (Ellman & Pezanis-Christou, 2010). Therefore, as this study indicates, open communication between leaders and subordinates is a key concept in the ethical implementation process. As discussed earlier, CSR continues to be a popular topic that aligns itself with discussions on business ethics. A major focus of CSR is on creating a sense of shared value between the business, its shareholders, and society. Michelini and Fiorentino (2011) explain that â€Å"from a shared value viewpoint, companies must integrate a social perspective into the core frameworks that they use to understand competition and develop business strategy† (p. 562). In other words, companies need to be sure that they are using an effective business model that will help support their CSR strategies and achieve shared value. Business models refer to the design of a business in regards to how it will create, deliver and capture value (Michelini & Fiorentino, 2011). The research conducted by Michelini and Fiorentino (2011) compared  and contrasted the social and inclusive business models in reference to how they each allow an organization to achieve their goal of shared value. Codes of Ethics It has been stressed that the actions of those in positions of leadership helps to institute ethical behavior in employees. Although this is true, actions are not the only resource that should be used to communicate management’s expectations of proper ethical behavior. Racelis (2010) places emphasis on the fact that individuals are more likely to feel like a vital part of an organization and will more strongly associate themselves with the mission of the company if the organization’s shared perceptions and values are clearly defined. Often times to accomplish this objective, organizations will develop a corporate code of ethics or code of conduct. Blodgett (2012) explains that corporate ethics codes are self-selected statements of laws and ethics that communicate the values and expressions of a corporation. Many corporate ethics codes incorporate the universal business ethical values of honesty, integrity, responsibility, fairness and trust; but they also may contain legal compliance statements to address general business concerns (Blodgett, 2012). It has been proposed by Blodgett (2012) that integrating general laws and procedures into a corporate code of ethics will help businesses see the ethical value in obeying laws and also help them understand that they have a broader responsibility than just strictly following legal laws. Overall, Noriega and Drew (2013) reiterate that ethical codes of conduct are structured by members of senior management and should seek to clarify company expectations, assist employees in the decision-making process and foster appropriate ethical behavior. Programs and Other Policies to Enforce Ethical Behavior In addition to creating a corporate code of ethics and communicating them to all employees within the organization, managers must also find ways to promote, teach, and enforce these ethical principles. Wickham and O’Donahue (2012) suggest that in order to build an ethically intelligent organization, an organization must develop HRM strategies, polices and procedures that center on recruiting, developing, and retaining employees that embody  cognitive, moral, social and emotional intelligence. A focus need to be put on learning how to develop and retain ethically motivated employees. Trapp (2011) shares that organizations could help endure ethical behavior through various business ethics programs such as workshops and e-training. A study by Trapp (2011) revealed that employees were more prone to embrace ethical standards when they were given the opportunity to openly voice their concerns and address the ethical grey areas they may encounter. Organizations can offer open forums or have ethical help hotlines where employees can openly communicate with others when they are faced with ethical dilemmas or areas of grey. Benefits of Ethical Organizations Although many businesses are feeling the push from their stakeholders to run their business on ethically sound principles, ethical business have seen many advantages and benefits as a result of instituting ethical behavior. Some of these benefits may include: increased employee satisfaction and productivity, increased and sustainable profitability, improved social status, and customer/shareholder loyalty and appreciation (Wickham & O’Donohue, 2012). According to Morrison and Mujtaba (2010), companies that follow unethical practices and are managed by unethical leaders diminish and destroy shareholder value due to the high cost associated with unethical actions such as fines and penalties, audit costs and costs associated with loss of customers and reputation; whereas, leaders that operate highly ethical corporations are able to increase shareholder. A positive correlation has been found between a firm’s investment in CSR and an increase in shareholder wealth (Morrison & Mujtaba, 2010). Finally, not only did the collapse of many prominent business due to unethical behavior result in a loss of credibility between stakeholders and businesses, it also resulted in governmental interference and the passage of laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). He and Ho (2010) explained that this law â€Å"introduced significant reform in the corporate governance, accounting, auditing, and reporting environment of publicly traded firms† (p. 624). Compliance with SOX has proven costly for many organizations. He and Ho (2010) believe that organizations led by ethical leaders who institute proper ethical standards and practices do not need to  invest in expensive monitoring programs because they could meet governmental regulations in a more efficient manner with minimal monitoring. Conclusion and Recommendations Organizations continue to be confronted with increased ethical challenges as leaders are continually tempted to exchange ethical behavior for increased money and power. Individuals in society continue to be appalled by the number of large and powerful corporations that have collapsed and fallen due to corporate fraud and scandal. This has led many stakeholders to become skeptical of business operations, leading them to demand an incorporation of ethics into every day business practices. Corporations wishing to satisfy this new expectation and regain the confidence and trust of not only external stakeholders but if their own employees must seek to find ways to implement business ethics within their organizational culture. Ethics is a complex construct to interpret and understand. Each individual has his/her own opinion regarding what constitutes good ethical behavior. There is no single definition for ethics, although most of the definitions provided by scholars revolve around common themes. Regardless of the debate about what truly constitutes ethics, there is a strong consensus that an indisputable need for ethics exists inside organizations. For this reason, there is much focus placed on ethics and how it pertains to business throughout literary works. Scholars continue to research and conduct various studies regarding the best way to institute ethics within an organization. Much of this literature was reviewed and evaluated to identify common themes that existed among the works. The literature includes explanations of various studies that provide support showing it is possible for organizations to meet the ethical expectations of the stakeholders by instituting strong ethical leadership within the organizations from the top down. These ethical leaders need to possess the important ethical qualities of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness and should practice the ethical behavior they profess, serving as exemplary role models for their followers. In addition, these ethical leaders are responsible for creating and enforcing formal policies and programs within their organization that place emphasis on the ethical values and standards  the business desires to convey. These formal structures include implementing and communicating a corporate code of ethics for the organizations and instituting programs that will help educate and develop the employees in r egards to the ethical standards and values. Organizations that are successfully able institute ethical leadership and use it to build a strong ethical foundation find that ethics inevitably become a part of the organizational culture. Ethical companies create shared value between the business, shareholders and society through CSR initiatives. Highly ethical organizations also see that their ethical practices benefit them through increased employee satisfaction and productivity, customer and shareholder appreciation, increased sustainable profitability, and social status. A detailed review of the literature on ethics reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. Since it appears that ethical leadership is the key to integrating ethical behavior within an organization, more studies should be conducted to determine the best approaches for leaders to do this. Leadership is all about persuasion and influence. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational structure. Once this flow of influence is understood, exploration is necessary to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. References Benn, S., Todd, L. R., & Pendleton, J. (2010). Public relations leadership in corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(3), 403-423. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0474-5 Blodgett, M. (2011). Substantive ethics: Integrating law and ethics in corporate ethics programs. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(1), 39-48. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1165-6 Busch, T., & Wennes, G. (2012). Changing values in the modern public sector: The need for value-based leadership. The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, 8(4), 201-215. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17479881211323599 Cameron, K. (2011). Responsible leadership as virtuous leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(1), 25-35. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1023-6 Daft, R. L. (2013). Organization theory & design. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. De Cremer, D. and de Bettignies, H.-C. (2013), Pragmatic business ethics. Business Strategy Review, 24(2), 64–67. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8616.2013.00950.x/pdf Elango, B., Paul, K., Kundu, S. K., & Paudel, S. K. (2010). Organizational ethics, individual ethics, and ethical intentions in international decision-making. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(4), 543-561. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0524-z Ellman, M., & Pezanis-Christou, P. (2010). Organizational structure, communication, and group ethics. The American Ec onomic Review, 100(5), 2478-2491. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.5.2478 Ethic – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2014). Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic Keller-Krawczyk, L. (2010). Is business ethics possible and necessary? Economics & Sociology, 3(1), 133-142,149. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1038947534?accountid=12085 He, L., & Ho, S. K. (2011). Monitoring costs, managerial ethics and corporate governance: A modeling approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(4), 623-635. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0672-1 Low, P. K. C., & Ang, S. L. (2013). Confucian ethics, governance and corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(4), 30-43. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1327711156?accountid=12085 Michelini, L., & Fiorentino, D., (2012). New business models for creating shared value, Social Responsibility Journal, 8(4 ), 561-577. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/journals.htm?articleid=17058148 Mihelic, K. K., Lipicnik, B., & Tekavcic, M. (2010). Ethical leadership. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 14(5), 31-41. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/819649567?accountid=12085 Morrison, H., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2010).

Justice in Agamemnon essayEssay Writing Service

Justice in Agamemnon essayEssay Writing Service Justice in Agamemnon essay Justice in Agamemnon essayJustice is a key word in the drama Agamemnon by Aeschylus. However, there is no an absolute justice in the drama. Justice is only in the eye of the beholder. Aeschylus criticizes his time through the evolution of the nature of justice.Clytaemnestra believes she must exact revenge against her husband for killing their daughter Iphigenia. She has taken Agamemnon’s brother as a lover and king in order to revenge the sacrifice of their daughter. However, Agamemnon believes that the honor of his family demanded the sacrifice that he made unwillingly, and that he was forced to give up his daughter. He sacrificed his daughter to the god Artemis in order to get favorable winds to reach Troy. Agamemnon’s sacrifice led to the conflict with his wife. Who is correct? There is a debate regarding Clytaemnestra’s actions and Agamemnon’s actions. Clytaemnestra gets justice in the play as she managed to kill her husband and place herself and her l over on the throne. She states that justice has been done in the name of her daughter Iphigeneia. Clytaemnestra explains her actions in the following way:You try me out as if I were a woman and vain;but my heart is not fluttered as I speak before you.You know it. You can praise or blame me as you wish;it is all one to me. That man is Agamemnon,my husband; he is dead; the work of this right handthat sturck in strength of righteousness. And that is thatIn other words, her revenge can be justified. At the same time, Clytaemnestra’s killing of her husband is considered to be an injustice against him.Thus, it is necessary to conclude that justice can be interpreted in different ways. Different conceptions of justice depend on the initial choices and situations. The notion of justice in Agamemnon by Aeschylus is revenge.

Howard Shultz essays

Howard Shultz essays Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, was born in 1952 and raised in a Brooklyn, NY housing-project. At the age of twenty, he was unsure about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Growing up in a fairly poor family, Schultz knew that he wanted to make a better life for himself; he did not want to be burdened with financial problems. Schultz had a very unique entrepreneurial drive to try to improve himself and his standing in life, because he did not want to be part of that class of people who did not have access to the American dream. It took Schultz a year to convince the Starbucks owners to hire him. When they finally made him director of marketing and operations in 1982, he had another epiphany. He introduced the idea of not only serving coffee, but also transforming Starbucks into a coffee bar- a meeting place with a comfortable environment to enjoy coffee. But in Seattle, the Starbucks owners resisted Schultzs plans to serve coffee in their stores, saying they didnt want to get into the restaurant business. Frustrated, Schultz quit and started his own coffee-bar business, called II Giornale. It was so successful, that a year later Schultz bought Starbucks for $3.8 million. The company began with eleven Seattle stores and fewer than one hundred employees. Schultz has since led Starbucks to become a half billion-dollar company. Schultzs mission for Starbucks is to establish the company as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow.(Mission Statement) Howard Schultz manages his company based on the following guiding principles: 1) Provide a great work environment, 2) Embrace diversity, 3) Highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery of our coffee, 4) Develop satisfied customers, 5) Contribute positively to our communities and our environment, and 6) Recognize that profita...

Interview with content editor Harrison Demchick Reedsy

Interview with content editor Harrison Demchick Reedsy â€Å"It’s about creating the very best version of your story†: An interview with Harrison Demchick It’s good to see indies and traditional authors brought together on what really unites them: the story, the craft, and offering great content to readers. And editors have a big part in that, one that is often untold. This is why we like to give them a spot on the Reedsy blog.Today, we interview one of these authors’ unsung heroes: a developmental editor. With 10 years experience both in-house and freelance, Harrison Demchick is one of the great editors we have brought to Reedsy, and one of our very first users. Plus, he has a great story to tell! For the lovers of the written word, I’ve transcribed most of it below.  But for those who want to take part in the discussion, you can directly join us on the hangout!Hi Harrison, good to have you here. You’re â€Å"the world’s most thorough content editor†, according to your Reedsy profile. Did you start out as a content editor or more as a copy editor or proofreader?At the time I started, I didnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t know the distinctions yet. When I was in high school and college I was doing copy-editing for several magazines or newspapers but when I started working in publishing, the publisher just gave me a manuscript and told me to â€Å"edit it†, and for me that inherently involved both the copy and the content.From the very first Summer I began in publishing (2005), I’ve been doing content (developmental) editing. It just took some time before I knew the formal term that was ascribed to it.Do you accept to work with authors who come to you with an unfinished draft? Or is there a particular at which you prefer authors to contact you (first draft, third draft, etc.)?Generally I do prefer working with a finished draft, that makes it much easier to provide overall feedback, especially when it comes to story or character arch, climax, etc. But as far as as polished that draft needs to be, I feel I can be very useful anytime from the first draft on. I personally like going through the whole developmental edit process and provide feedback relatively early, if not right after the first draft, so that the author is able to know what they need to do and have a plan of attack for the next draft.If you start working with an author on the first draft, generally how long does it take for you and the author to reach the final manuscript stage?Well that depends a lot on the context and how long I’m staying with a project. When in traditional publishing I was with a project from start to finish and that could be a process that could last anywhere from 6 months to two years, to make sure that the books that we put out were as strong as they possibly could be.On the freelance side it depends a lot on the author and their direction. I love to stick to projects when I can: I start with a developmental edit and do a smaller consultation afterwards. And if I look at when books happen to be published rather than when I’m finished working on them, it stil l often ends up being more than a year after we start.Obviously it really comes down in the end to how quickly and effectively the author works, and what they want from me afterwards.As you have worked both in-house for a publisher and freelance, do you see any big differences in how you work with authors in both cases? The differences, in my opinion, are not necessarily that vast. Well, the big difference for me as far as what I get to do for a living, is that I now get to focus entirely on the editing, and that’s one of the reasons I chose to go freelance. But as far as the authors, I work with both with authors who plan to self-publish and with authors who plan to start contacting publishers after they’re done working with me.And in either the case the goal is the same: it’s to identify what’s working, what’s not working, and how we can make it better and create the very best version of the author’s manuscript.One could make the case that when working with someone pursuing traditional publishing the focus could be more on how to best market it for publishers. And while I’m happy to give feedback on that, for me it doesn’t matter as far as the story itself is as good as it can be. For me it’s all about creating the best possible version, and that’s the same whether it’s for traditional or self-publishing.I definitely like your point there, it should always be about getting the quality of the writing as high as possible. I also think that some books, according to the genre, are actually more suited for self-publishing (because the target market is smaller, maybe). Do you try to advise authors on which publishing route they should take? Or do you adapt the adapt their writing and their story to the route they’ve chosen?I definitely advise, but I don’t recommend, necessarily. Every author has their own approach and my job is to help them achieve their goals. Of course if I see an issue with those goals or something that could make it easier I will let them know that.Self-publishing and traditional publishing both have their pros and cons, and I don’t see genre as one of them, necessarily, one of the distinguishing characteristics. Generally authors who have decided to self-publish or traditionally publish have done so for specific reasons and as long as those are valid I will do my best to advise them and work in that way. Fortunately, my experience is such that I can advise effectively no matter which direction they choose.Do you think a good editor can work with any author out there, or is there one perfect editor for every author?I certainly wouldn’t go that far. I think there are certainly cases where a particular editor’s personality or approach would work better for a particular author, that is no doubt true. But there are also a lot of disparities in quality among editors out there. A lot of the time it’s not so mu ch searching for the one that fits, than going through a lot of people who are not really fantastic at it before finding somebody who actually is.Fundamentally it comes down to being as effective as you can possibly be. I think that’s   more important than having a particular chemistry with the author you’re working with.I definitely agree with your point on the disparity of quality in editors out there, and that is part of the reason why we created Reedsy.Exactly, and one reason for that is that a lot of people assume that they can edit, because they love to read and they’d love to be helpful to authors. Also, because they don’t know fully what goes into it. And some start with that belief and actually become amazing, which is exciting to see.All this makes it very hard for the authors to know whether the person they’re talking with is someone genuinely skilled or just someone very enthusiastic who wants to believe they are going to be able to h elp the author. That’s why I, too, love what Reedsy is going for because it helps authors navigate that.You are yourself a published author with one book out there: The Listeners, and were also a screenwriter before that. What pushed you to publish? Did editing a lot of books make you want to put your own work out there?Actually, it’s just the opposite. The Listeners started out as a series of short stories I wrote in my last semester of college, around the same time I started my career in editing in a publishing company.This particular series developed in a screenplay, and the publisher I worked for expressed an interest in a novel version, which I wrote. But for a while, my experience in publishing actually made me not want to put the book out there, because I knew the marketing challenges. I knew I would be out there, front and center trying to build a readership, doing book signings, interviews, etc. These are all things that I know how to do, and that I recommend to authors, but things I don’t have a particular knack for myself. I’m not a great marketer or self-promoter, it’s not my nature.Fortunately, I had enough people around me telling me I was an idiot and that I should pursue publishing, so I did, and I’m very grateful for the opportunities I have had since thanks to that.I’d like to finish with an easy question: if you had one recommendation for indie authors out there, whether they’re traditionally published, self-published, or hybrid, what would it be?I suppose it would be to hire me, haha! But more broadly and less egocentrically than that, the thing that divides a writer from an author in my mind is the revision process: pushing forward, doing everything that’s in your power to create the very best version of your story. There is nothing more spectacular than taking an idea not only from concept to first draft but from first draft to final draft. So my advice would be: follow that r oad to the end, do not stop part way through.I agree, and I certainly second that advice. Thanks a lot for your time, Harrison!You can find Harrison Demchick, Ricardo and Reedsy on Twitter: @HDemchick, @RicardoFayet  and @reedsyhqDo you work with a developmental editor? If yes, tell us what he/she brings to your writing in the comments below! And if you have any question for Harrison, do use the same commenting space 🙂

Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Project - Assignment Example Net income for J.C. Penny Company has been decreasing over the past three financial years and the decrease identifies losses in the company’s last two financial years. The trend is further consistent and suggests that the company is likely to suffer worse degree of losses in its future financial years. Macy’s Inc. however offers good indicators in its net income. The income has been increasing in the past three financial years and the consistent trend suggests that the net income is likely to increase in future financial years. Macy’s Inc. was therefore better in profitability because it was profitable while J.C. Penny Company suffered losses. Profitability in Macy’s Inc. was also better because it improved from the previous financial period while that of J.C. Penny Company decreased from the previous financial period. The same trend is observed in the companies’ comprehensive incomes (Georgia State University, n.d.). The following table compares th e companies’ current and total arrest for the years ending 2011, and 2012. Table 2: Comparison of current assets Company 2011 2012 J.C. Penny Company 5081 3683 Macy’s Inc 8777 7876 The following is the graph of the companies’ current assets for the the years ended 2011 and 2012. ... Table 3: Total assets Company 2011 2012 J.C. Penny Company 11424 9781 Macy’s Inc 22095 20991 The following graph shows distribution of total assets Graph 3: Total assets Like in current assets, the two companies’ total assets decreased across the two financial years. The percentage decrease was however greater in J.C. Company, 14.38 percent, compared to Macy’s 5 percent and shows higher threat to long term sustainability of J.C. Company. Further, lower value of current assets in J.C. Company shows weaker leverage potential that in Macy Inc. (Georgia State University, n.d.). Trend in current liabilities within the two companies, together with trends in assets also offer a basis for comparing them. The following table shows the trends. Table 4: Current liabilities Company 2011 2012 J.C. Penny Company 2756 2583 Macy’s Inc 6263 5075 The following graph shows the companies’ current liabilities for the years ended 2011 and 2012. Graph 4: Current liabiliti es The companies’ current liabilities decreased from the year ended 2011 to the year ended 2012 with greater decrement in Macy’s Inc., 19 percent, than J.C. Company’s 6.3 percent. The trend also indicates improved liquidity at Macy’s inc. even though Macy’s Inc. has higher amount of current liabilities, it also has higher amount of current assets and this establishes its short-term liquidity over J.C. Company (Georgia State University, n.d.; J.C. Company, 2013; Macy’s Inc., 2013). Analysis of major rations for the two companies also offers a basis for comparing the companies’ financial positions and performance. The table below shows some of the comparative analyses for the companies’ financial statements. Table 5: Financial ratios

Movie Review on Seperate but Equal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

On Seperate but Equal - Movie Review Example When Clarendon County, South Carolina's the black students are not given the right for a school bus, a harsh and brave fight for justice as well as equality begins. The Thurgood Marshall is a lawyer for the NAACP and he put up a frantic fight for the civil rights and these rights were not given when slavery was abolished, the whole fight turns into a grand fight both in his private life and the court (Separate but equal. 1996). Sidney Poitier, also a DGA director member, starred in the film as Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP lawyer who successfully argued the Brown case and later himself famously served on the Supreme Court (Jerry 2004). John W. Davis is Marshall's opponent; both of them argue keenly and fluently in front a Supreme Court that is led via Chief Justice Earl Warren. Separate But Equal is a touching human performance of a very important court case in American history. The prosecuting attorney and the protagonist in the movie was Thurgood Marshall, the famous black lawyer who was played by Sidney Poitier. Defense lawyers headed by Thurgood Marshall were invited by the local black citizens of kansas so that they could represent them in NAACP. The case is lost in the Federal District Court thus they give a plea to the Supreme Court. ... Board of Education, Delaware, as well as Virginia, all these cases had the same mission . Through strong actors such as Poitier, the movie was very well done. John W.Davis John W. Davis portrayed by Burt Lancaster,one of the top litigator, hired by school board of Clarendon County, South Carolina to argue their case before the Supreme Court, opposed Thurgood Marshall's effort to turn over the Supreme Court decision that gave the verdict of segregation being legal in public schools . The case is bought in the Court, before any decision can be made Chief Justice has a heart attack and dies. His place is taken by Earl Warren, this character is played by Richard Kiley (Goldberg 1993). Earl Warren Earl Warren, played by Richard Kiley appointed as a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after the death of the last Chief Justice. Warren is extremely strong character, he is successful in convincing the court's other members to make a unanimous decision along with him to eliminate the tradition of segregation in the public schools all over the nation (Leonard, 1991). He had a diffcult time trying to convince one of the justices but finally he got him to agree with his decision. Kiley gives a brilliant and powerful performance, but the importance on Warren in Stevens' script seems like it is unpredictable. Harry Briggs Harry Briggs, the father of a black student in the movie. His original name was Tommy Hollis. He is sick and tired of watching his son walk long distances home from school, he feels sorry for his son, as his son is too tired too even do his home work after such a long and tiring walk (Brigid 2005). He enrolls his son's teacher to plead the local supervisor of schools to give a bus. The movie is

TVR chapter 5 and 6 journal entries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TVR chapter 5 and 6 journal entries - Essay Example as young as 2 years old, like, for instance, The Triplets: Christmas Special, as well as for a much more mature audience, as the movie About Schmidt starring Jack Nicholson as an aging man approaching retirement and coming to terms with his life. The movie medium is now taking over most of the entertainment industry medium, with books being sidelined as a secondary source of entertainment, and every book, in a way, claiming to be a movie in the making. Additionally, more and more individuals are taking up movie making, as they perceive it to be a medium through which they would be able to express their true selves and emit their ideas to other individuals. In a day and age where each not only has a story to tell, but wants to share it with as large an audience as possible, it is only logical that such individuals will reach out to the movie industry, an industry that reaches the maximum number of audience. Professional movies, with a director, producer, and cinematographer, try to be as creative as possible and tell a story, but, with the use of a camcorder and a connection to the Internet, individuals like Chris Crocker on YouTube expressing his views about Britney Spears aim to present themselves as their true selves. This use of the medium can have both positive and negative effects on its audience, as the way a situation is perceived varies from individual to individual. Moreover, such platforms for â€Å"movie making†, so to speak, normally end up not serving the audience, but causing them to be frustrated. Notwithstanding the movie platform is a great source of entertainment to the public as well as a platform to raise social issues, it can be used to merely document the mundane routine of one’s life, as is often seen on YouTube. YouTube, in my personal experience, can be, and often is, used for uploading mundane videos about people who have no clue what they are talking about, simply wanting their voices to be heard, or wanting to get noticed.

A talk on Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A talk on Security - Essay Example and spectacular risks are exaggerated whereas common risks are downplayed, what is not known is taken to be riskier than the common, risks that are personified are taken to be bigger than unspecified risks and lastly people tend to underestimate risks in conditions they have control over and overestimate risks in conditions they are not able to control. Thus cognitive biases act as filters that exist between reality and us. Reality and feeling get different and one either has got a feeling of being more secure; which is a false sense of course or feels insecure which is just, but another false sense .A model can aptly describe this situation. A model is mostly based on reason and feeling is on the basis of our intuition. A model is therefore needed to comprehend the different kind of risks we face and is usually restricted by our cognitive biases .Models can come from various areas such as our elected officials, media, industry, science and so on. Models can also change and as we get more contented in our environments, our model soon moves close to our feelings. Security can also be said to be dependent on the observer, the objective here being whether we get to notice. Thus the reality and feeling of security tend to come together when people take notice, but diverge when they do not. People need correct information to understand security, since the more they know, the more likely they are to make better trade-offs. It is also crucial for security designers to be informed to thwart propagandists from manipulating people’s feelings of security for their own

How did we come to be Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

How did we come to be - Essay Example Where does this power "to will" come from If we observe our own body parts and their movements as if we are looking at a Television program, the reality behind our origins can be realized to a great extent. This is clearly an experiment about which a number of scientists and critical analysts apparently never thought of doing it while entering into their voluminous research on the evolution, nature and logic of origins of man. If this experiment is opted for, only one idea is likely to follow. This will be an objective realization of the power and force of God behind every living and non-living being and entity. This is ultimate wisdom that does not change for there is nothing beyond it. There is a well established social perspective. It is the universally accepted principle of "Change as the law of Nature". This law by itself has never changed! Why If it is true, it must also change with time. However, no one can deny living by this reality of change. What a great predicament The law is there but it cannot be there if it is to continue. Similar situation appears to be existing about the question: How have we humans evolved in the present pulsating form of precious beings So many schools of thought and ways of argument have come up, as it were, "since the beginning of human inquiry into society." Darwinian, Big Bang, Cosmic Evolution, Stellar Evolution, Chemical Evolution, Planetary Evolution, Organic Evolution, Macro Evolution, Micro Evolution and Pragmatism theories vie with one another to solve the apparent mystery of origins of man.1 Despite so much of variety of material and writings available on "How did we come to be" there is utter dearth of rock solid truth about this matter. Evolutionary theorists are generally modern scientists from biology, chemistry and physics. They believe and write about that phenomenon which can be verified through their own microscopes and eyes only. Pragmatists like Charles Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewey appear to have gone even a few steps ahead of the evolutionary theorists. They as such suggest "rejection of the transcendental approach to truth, logic and inquiry".2 For Peirce, 'pragmaticism' and 'fallibilism' were the essence of all logic. For him, 'metaphysics embraces a theory of cosmic evolution and a theory of causal laws'. There has to be a cause and effect relationship inherent and explicit in an experience. All inquiry - including the question of origins of man - must follow this causal law. William James also picked up 'pragmatist' outlook of Peirce and further popularized these ideas.3 Quite in the similar vain, John Dewey made inquiry, rather than truth or knowledge, the essence of logic.4 Critical Assessment: Indeed, these evolutionary and pragmatist analyses are having their own limitations just as any other approach to a world view may be having. One small aspect is very obvious here. Most of the noted and vibrant minds and great critics generally do not look beyond their own perception. At times, the most obvious argument is ignored for it lies just beneath their feet within their immediate reach. If an analyst wants to be objective and scientific in approach, then one must not ignore the most obvious. When dealing with evolution, origins of man and the power behind human

A talk on Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A talk on Security - Essay Example and spectacular risks are exaggerated whereas common risks are downplayed, what is not known is taken to be riskier than the common, risks that are personified are taken to be bigger than unspecified risks and lastly people tend to underestimate risks in conditions they have control over and overestimate risks in conditions they are not able to control. Thus cognitive biases act as filters that exist between reality and us. Reality and feeling get different and one either has got a feeling of being more secure; which is a false sense of course or feels insecure which is just, but another false sense .A model can aptly describe this situation. A model is mostly based on reason and feeling is on the basis of our intuition. A model is therefore needed to comprehend the different kind of risks we face and is usually restricted by our cognitive biases .Models can come from various areas such as our elected officials, media, industry, science and so on. Models can also change and as we get more contented in our environments, our model soon moves close to our feelings. Security can also be said to be dependent on the observer, the objective here being whether we get to notice. Thus the reality and feeling of security tend to come together when people take notice, but diverge when they do not. People need correct information to understand security, since the more they know, the more likely they are to make better trade-offs. It is also crucial for security designers to be informed to thwart propagandists from manipulating people’s feelings of security for their own

Domestic Violence Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Domestic Violence Abuse - Essay Example This has been the legacy of the Tennessee laws regarding domestic violence. However, recent decades have witnessed a shift in public awareness accompanied by a greater sense of responsibility within the law to protect the women, men, and children who become the victims of abuse and a greater willingness of the courts to prosecute the offenders. One of the key areas that Tennessee law has changed in recent years is the ability of the state to intervene in prosecution of domestic violence with or without the cooperation of the victim. According to the Knoxville Tennessee Bar Association, "unlike in the past when victims were required to swear out warrants, officers now are being trained to swear out all warrants involving domestic violence themselves" (How to Use the Law). If the offender is arrested, the level of the crime will depend upon the egregiousness of the act. In Tennessee most prosecutions for domestic violence are prosecuted as Class A misdemeanors that carry a sentence of not more than 1 year (How to Use the Law). In addition to the criminal sentence most offenders are also required to attend a domestic violence intervention program. The victim is also entitled to obtain a Civil Order of Protection that provides an additional layer of legal protection against domestic violence and threats. The recent changes in Tennessee law that have broadened t... While the change was necessary to prevent losing federal grants, defense lawyer Clay Whittaker "believes the fallout from the law change is that the people with orders of protection against them could end up bearing the burden of court costs in all instances, even if the plaintiffs' complaints eventually are found to have no merit" (Mercer). This is especially relevant due to other recent changes in Tennessee law that define "adults or minors who are dating or who have dated or who have or had sexual relationship" as eligible for domestic protection orders, which could open the doors for abuse of the existing laws in the form of revenge or overreaction (Bohn). These definitions are vague and can include many people who can be subjected to prosecution without any warning or committing any offensive activity. One of the most significant, and widely praised, changes in Tennessee law has been in the provisions and penalties for spousal rape. US law has traditionally defined rape as "sexual intercourse with a female not his wife without her consent" (Spousal Rape Bill Back). In the last 30 years, states have moved to amend the law to repeal the spousal exclusion from the rape laws. In 1998, the Tennessee spousal exemption was changed to read that a spouse could be charged only if there was a weapon involved, there was serious bodily injury, or the couple was separated or divorced (Echegaray). In 2005, Tennessee amended its law again to eliminate the spousal exemption and "made the rape of a spouse as serious as the rape of a stranger" (Echegaray). This was a significant step in recognizing that domestic violence is a serious offense and a grave threat to public safety. In

Students on the Internet Essay Example for Free

Students on the Internet Essay The internet is a very resourceful and useful tool for highschool students. With the internet students can access information from any computer with internet access, transfer data and use a large variety of online resources that are in more depth than high school text books. Information resources such as web sites and online Libraries can be accessed from any computer, with internet access. A computer with internet access can go online to a website that a student may have access at home or at school. With a student being able to access web sites and online resources at their own discretion, research for projects can be done at a students own pace. Now that research can be done at home and both school a student can go into more depth with their work, due to more time of research. The internet can also be used to transfer data to and from school, and also with other students and peers. Programs such as online messengers and e-mails can be used to communicate. Communication that is done over the internet is very fast and unlike the telephone can be used to transfer data such as work done on the computer. The quality of transferred data is in the same shape as it was when it was sent to another computer. With students being able to transfer data quickly and reliably with each other, they will be able to work with positive in croups. There are large numbers of resources that can be found on the internet, these resources are often in more depth than a high school text book. When a internet user goes online to a search engine such as google and types in a topic thousands of links relevant web sites show up. With all of these resources available the amount of information that a student can use is endless and in more depth than high school textbooks. With a large number of in depth resources on the internet a student can achieve a grade of high standards. With the internet as a fast reliable and safe resource at a students disposal, the input and information in a students homework and assignments  with be of great quality, filled with information. The number of great tools and possibilities available to students on the internet is endless and should be used by every one.

Branding Strategies Of Asda Marketing Essay

Branding Strategies Of Asda Marketing Essay Branding is a most important tool for any product or company to gain a long term market share. The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of branding and its implications in the retail market. This will include the concepts and practices of branding that are adopted by different retailers in the UK as well as the new challenges faced by these retailers in UK market. This research will identify the benefits of branding for suppliers, customers and for the retailers. I will identify the strategic approach which retailers in the UK can adopt as a role model to survive in a highly competitive market and this will include the survey of UK food and grocery retail market. I will also investigate how the changes in the market from the early beginning have changed the position of grocery supermarket chains. I will describe the in-depth branding strategies of ASDA, various operations of ASDAs stores and its competition with world-wide and UK retailers. This study will also identify and investigate the competitive position of ASDA amount other key players in UK such as TESCO, Sainsbury and Morrison. INTRODUCTION What is branding? According to the Websters dictionary a brand is defined as a mean of identification and an arbitrarily adapted name that is given by manufacturer to a product to distinguish it and it may be used and protected as trade name.  [1]   A brand is defined as a name, term, design or symbol or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services that identifies and distinguishes a specific sellers product from a competitive product of another seller. It is also defined as a part of a product and services tangible features, the verbal indication that help customers to identify the products they want. It plays a vital role in assessment of a product or service and can add value to them. It is a word which is commonly referred to by advertisers and marketing people. Why it is important? People generally recognize a well-known brand even if they do not know about the company or its products/services. These are usually the name of businesses or the name of a product, although it can be the name of a feature or style of a product too. A good brand delivers the message clearly and motivates the buyers. There are few other terms which have been used to define branding such as brand name, brand mark, trade name or trade mark. Thus branding is very essential for companies and it is beneficial for buyers and customers. INDUSTRY BACKGROUND ASDA was formed in 1965 with a merger of two companies, Associated Dairies and the Asquith Brothers supermarket chain Queen. ASDA Stored Ltd was created a supermarket with its objectives to offer the customers permanently low prices. In 1999 ASDA was acquired by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and ASDA became part of the worlds biggest and best retailer. Since then, ASDA also became Britains second largest supermarket. ASDA has now over 300 stores across the UK and employ 150,000 staff and its friendly service is as inextricably linked to the ASDA brand as their reputation for quality and service.  [2]   According to a recent survey, as of 1st August 2010 ASDA has 376 locations with operating income of  £638 million and ranking as second largest supermarket chain in the UK. ASDA Group Ltd., operates as one of the largest food retailers in the United Kingdom. The companys stores sell a wide variety of merchandise including food and apparel, along with house wares, music, videos and books. The company once known as a diary conglomerate was acquired by Wal-Mart Inc. in 1999. Under its new parents guidance, ASDA has been adding pharmacies, opticians, jewelry and photo departments to its stores.  [3]   ASDAS BRANDING STRATEGY According to a survey in 2004 which shows the key figures of the UK retail market, states that UK retail sales reached approximately  £246 billion in 2004. This shows that retail industry, generally, continues to show positive signs of growth. The retail industry in any country is generally a very active, fast changing sector. Thus it comprises one of the main sectors in the economy of a country, in terms of transactions and turnover; as a result, it is a highly competitive and sophisticated industry. My research proposal is about the importance of branding in retail market particularly in the UK retail, food and grocery market. I will identify the branding strategy of ASDA and its market share in the UK retail sector. Currently ASDA is using one strategy which is: In September 2010 ASDA announced that it is going to re-launch its mid-tier private label range under the new Chosen by You brand name in a bid to improve perceptions of the quality of its food. This new rang is a part of a  £100m investment which includes 200,000 UK consumers taste testing and benchmarking the products.  [4]   And now ASDA has also decided to launch their new opticians business adopting similar logos and using slogans making indirect references to the chain. ASDA ran a campaign featuring the two slogans: Be a real spec saver at ASDA Spec savings at ASDA  [5]   These strategies are helping and will help ASDA to gain consumers satisfaction. Although ASDA is already getting continuous growth with the diversification and extension of its existing stores but the retail market has become more competitive and having less market share can affect the overall ranking and position of ASDA in the international market. Therefore I will analyse and evaluate the strategic position of ASDA in comparison to other UK retailers and in conclusion there will be future strategic options suggested which aimed to strengthen its position in the highly competitive market and to gain customers satisfaction and loyalty. While using the same brand name, ASDA is also offering financial services to its customers which include: Insurance Credit cards and loans Savings Motor breakdown cover Energy supplying According a recent report at BBC (27 May 2010) ASDA has also announced plans to buy Netto for  £778m. Netto has 193 stores in the UK which will continue to trade under the Netto name for the time being but will come under the ASDA brand by mid-2011.  [6]   ASDA is continuously promoting its brand strategy and has announced that its customers will benefit from low prices on a significantly broader range of quality products, complemented by the wide range of services ASDA offer at all their small stores (ASDA Chief Executive Andy Clarke). ASDA brand George was bought by ASDA in 1995, George was started in 1990 by George Davies and it was the first supermarket clothing brand. Thus George grew and become the largest clothing retailer by volume in the UK today. This brand is also traded internationally by Wal-Mart. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The core idea of this research to analyze the different strategies ASDA is using for its branding to compete with all the supermarkets within UK to capture a large portion of market share in retail and other relative industries. This research will also throw light on the factors to identify how these branding strategies affect customers behaviour and why they chose ASDA as compare to all other supermarkets in UK. Without an appropriate set of objectives, you can end up not only with a misguided strategy, but with an unrealistic set of goals. Increasing brand awareness for a product that already has a baseline awareness of 99 percent, for example, can be virtually impossible. If you set the wrong objectives, you set yourself up for failure (Graham 2001).  [7]   This research will emphasize the practices of ASDAs brand objectives how ASDA is using its branding to get customers loyalty and trust within the competitive market where its main rivals TESCO, Sainsbury, Morison, Marks Spenser are operating side by side as strong competitor. ASDAs brand objectives are that it is comprised of ASDAs personality, image, core competencies and characteristics. ASDAs basic framework of its brand is to pursue to put an impression on its customers that describe the company to other people. ASDA is following the strategy of its branding to build a strong credibility and have more influence on the market and to motivate customers to shop at ASDAs stores. ASDAs objectives are to be looked as a leader and not as a follower. I will explore and find out that how ASDA is defining its objectives with specific timelines and how it has been developing plans of action to achieve those objectives. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Why branding is important and what ASDA wants from its brand to do? What does ASDA wants others to know and say about its products? How ASDA can retain its top ranking position in the UK retail market? RESEARCH AIMS Identify different retail brands in UK Identify current branding strategy of ASDA Review market share of ASDA in UK retail market Analysis of competitors of ASDA Study of future practices of ASDA Recommend improved strategy for ASDA to retain its top ranking position in the UK retail market. LITERATURE REVIEW The central concern of brand building literature experienced a dramatic shift in the last decade. Branding and the role of brands, as traditionally understood, were subject to constant review and redefinition. A traditional definition of a brand was: the name, associated with one or more items in the product line, which is used to identify the source of character of the item(s) (Kotler 2000, p. 396). A literature review is very important and critical for the justification of the proposed research in order to find out different factors to identify the research area and to clarify questions of the chosen research topic (Saunders, 2007). Aaker and Joachmisthaler (2000) argued the traditional branding model where a brand management team was liable for creating and coordinating the brands management program. In these circumstances, the brand manager was not high in the companys hierarchy; his focus was the short-term financial results of single brands and single products in single markets. The basic objective was the coordination with the manufacturing and sales departments in order to solve any problem concerning sales and market share. With this strategy the responsibility of the brand was solely the concern of the marketing department (Davis 2002). In general, most companies thought that focusing on the latest and greatest advertising campaign meant focusing on the brand (Davis and Dunn 2002). The model itself was tactical and reactive rather than strategic and visionary (Aaker and Joachimsthaler 2000). The brand was always referred to as a series of tactics and never like strategy (Davis and Dunn 2002). Brand is defined as a name, term, symbol, design or any other feature or a combination of any of them. Branding is used to define, or is proposed to identify the goods or services of one seller and distinct it from those of other sellers. Branding helps to differentiate ones service from those of its competitors. It plays vital role in assessment of product and can add value to a product. It is therefore an intimate aspect of product strategy. Therefore In developing a marketing strategy for individual products, the seller has to tackle the issue of branding. According to Peter Doyle; Brands are at the very heart of marketing. When a company creates a strong brand it attracts customers preference and builds a defensive wall against competition. Marketers and sellers make different strategies for their products and most of these are associated with branding. These decisions include how to create brands, how to choose brand names, brand marks, trademarks and trade names. A brand may identify one item, a family of items or all items of that seller. Brand loyalty is an integral part of building a brand, as consumers usually have a choice of products in the same market segment, and so a successful company will use a way to keep consumers re-buying their product or coming back to their stores rather than going to their competitor. These brand loyalty-building efforts may come in the form of coupons and incentives such as many grocery chains use a technique of grocery discount cards or loss leaders, meant to draw consumers into the store, where they will hopefully buy products at discounted fare with a higher profit ratio (Kumar 2010).  [8]   SOURCES TO BE USED FOR DATA I will be using different scholars books written in different countries on branding, why it is important and work of researcher all over the world in this field. As branding is the most important factor of any business, organisation, product or service so there is a lot of information on the internet, journals and newspapers. Proper references from all the sources will be included in my work. I will also be conducting interviews from different Managers of ASDA, TESCO and Sainsbury including some customers in the stores to get much information regarding my subject and a practical experience which will help me writing a good conclusion to my proposed work. Data collection will consist of surveys, interviews and observation with ASDA Managers, employees and customers as well as journal logs from scholars. As suggested by Prof. Francis Knox I am planning to conduct multiple interviews with each participant in order to provide more in-depth data collection and opportunities for follow-up. I will utilize a qualitative evaluation for this research project leveraging subjective methods such as interviews and observations to collect substantive and relevant data. I hope that such a qualitative approach will be valuable here due to the varying experiences of the Managers and customers visiting ASDA. Recent research on subject matter will also be consulted to validate collected data. DATA ANALYSIS Data analysis is an important part of any topic as it gives an outline and understanding of the subject. In the same way I will analyse the collected data by comparing it with all the other competitors of ASDA to find out how ASDA is benefiting from its branding strategies and objectives. I believe that data analysis shows the different things discussed in topic and which one is most suitable and favourable according to the situation. Data can be collected from various sources and its analysis gives understanding and shape to the topic or field of interest. Collect necessary Data to answer questions Analyse Data Creating strategies to use results Reporting out on recommendations and conclusion RESEARCH METHODOLIGIES My research methodology requires gathering relevant data from the scholars books, online journals, newspapers and internet and to compile the databases in order to analyze the material and to arrive at a more complete understanding of the importance of branding of a company or a product. The following chart can best represent how research methodology work: Source: http://www.clientopinions.com/pages/11/Research-Methodology/ My dissertation would be based upon primary and secondary sets of information available on branding within supermarkets and my research work will be based upon both qualitative and quantitative data, for example exploring the work of researcher on branding importance for supermarkets and conducting interviews with relevant employees working as Managers and customers of ASDA supermarket. In this research I will also include the current trends of branding in different countries of the world and especially in the UK. Questionnaires carried out during my research will help me to get the facts how big chains of supermarkets and other organisations are using their brand image to get a large portion of their respective markets. On the basis of all the relevant information available branding evaluation and conclusion will be carried out. The evaluation and conclusion will also include how and why ASDA branding is better comparing to its competitors and how ASDA can better use their branding strategy all over the world. The research approach is also constructive (Jarvinen 1999, Olkkonen 1993). The positivistic approach would have required a quantitative analysis of the system (Takala Helo 2000) which would be very difficult to accomplish without disclosing some confidential business information.  [9]   This nature of research is a process of finding information; analyzing, interpreting information to deal with questions which must have certain characteristics like be controlled, systematic, rigorous, valid and critical. My research will ideally be focused on primary and secondary research on ASDA brand name and image, which will enable me to get adequate knowledge and with the help of this awareness I will work on my dissertation with no trouble. I will be able to investigate the advantages of branding and will find out what can be the problems using a brand name/images in a most competitive market for a company. During this research proposal I found out that there is plenty of information available in the journals, books and on the internet specifically for ASDA and I will use that information in the dissertation to make it more clear and acceptable. With the help of this provided information I would be able to present this in a theoretical form including data chart, comparison diagrams etc, which will help to understand my subject simply. As mentioned earlier that brand is a most important tool for any company, product or service. There are so many products in the market who do not have proper brand name or image and these products disappear from the shelves after sometime. So in my research work I will explore few of those products and will compare the quality and price to ASDAs similar products, as this experiment will discover the importance of branding. EXPECTED OUTCOMES I consider that after having a detail study on brand name/image and its importance in the retail market and research on branding strategy of ASDA and its implementation, it will be helpful for me to suggest how ASDA can improve itself amongst its competitors in the United Kingdom. As we all know that branding is perhaps the most important fact of any business, beyond product, distribution, pricing and location for any company and this build a tangible trust and loyalty amongst the customers. Brand loyalty is an essential part of building a brand name/image as customers usually have a choice of similar products in the same market segment so a successful company like ASDA will come up with a way to keep customers re-buying their products or coming back to their store again and again rather than going to its competitors. During my dissertation while conducting different interviews and surveys I will find out how ASDA is successfully implementing its branding strategy and how it can more effectively improve this with my field work on this specific topic. So I conclude this proposal with acknowledging that if brand name is used properly, ASDA can keep the large share of the market. ASDA brand name is Saving you money every day, so as far ASDA is fulfilling the requirement of its brand name, there is no doubt that this big chain of supermarket will continue enjoying a large portion of the market share in the United Kingdom. During my research proposal I have found out that ASDA has improved its operations and thus it become the second largest supermarket in the United Kingdom and this is only because it has its long term branding strategies which reviewed on regular basis and the market is compared on weekly basis on the prices and quality of the product being sold at the similar stores in the country. SCHEDULE (DAILY TIME TABLE) Dissertation Working Process Start Date Finish Date 1. Introduction and history 01-01-2011 02-01-2011 2. Finalising aims/objectives and questionnaire 04-01-2011 06-01-2011 3. Draft a complete version of Literature review 08-01-2011 11-01-2011 4. Finalise Literature review 13-01-2010 17-01-2011 5. Revisit the methodology Literature 20-01-2011 24-01-2011 6. Finalising the research approach 26-01-2011 30-01-2011 7. Finalising research strategy and method 01-02-2011 03-02-2011 8. Finalising questionnaire and interviews 05-02-2011 08-02-2011 9. Entering and analysing the data 10-02-2011 12-02-2011 10. Update Literature if necessary 14-02-2011 15-02-2011 11. Completing the remaining work 17-02-2011 18-02-2011 12. Revise the draft make amendments format for submission 20-02-2011 22-02-2011 13. Write Reflective Document / add at the end of dissertation 24-02-2011 26-02-2011 14. Submit Dissertation Possible Submission Date: 31-03-2011