An Exploration of the Application of Environmental Ethical Thought to Animal Rights

Introduction The environment is a very essential element to all living organisms, including animals and human beings. It however requires proper care or handling in terms of conservation to ensure sustainability which in turn makes it conducive for growth as well as prosperity of all organisms that depend on it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An Exploration of the Application of Environmental Ethical Thought to Animal Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Animal rights on the other hand entails the perception that other animals, apart from human beings, should be accorded the rights they deserve in regard to their interest and what is good for them as opposed to just looking at what interests human beings at the expense of animals’ suffering. It is a concept that has been faced with a lot of controversy with different people having varying views. This piece of work looks at animal rights and the environ ment with much emphasis being given to Polar Bear and the environmental issues that surrounds it for instance global warming and human activities like hunting and pollution. It also looks into the attitudes that people have towards the environment including the values that add force to those attitudes. The impacts of the attitudes and values on the way people treat the environment will also be highlighted. Polar Bear Polar bear is a well known animal. It is ranked as the largest bear and the world’s largest land carnivore and hence so much importance is attached to it, especially in regard to tourism, due to its unique characteristics. Its physical characteristics are an adaption for cold weather and for allowing easy movement across ice, snow as well as open water. They are also known for hunting as a way of getting food to sustain themselves. Polar bears are born on land but spend most of their lifetime at the sea. Like any other kind of animal, the polar bear is dependent on the environment for basic aspects like accommodation and food and any form of disruption of the environment affects it negatively. Polar bears have been classified among the susceptible or endangered species. According to Johnson (2006), approximately eight out of 19 polar bear subdivisions are in the decline and hence at a risk of extinction. This has been linked to numerous factors and activities with the leading one being hunting. For this reason, various steps, laws, control measures and movements have been laid down in an effort to safeguard them and prevent chances of extinction. The impact and scope of the environmental problem There are various environmental problems associated with the existence and development of the polar bear. They include aspects like global warming, deforestation in search of land for settlement and agriculture as well as charcoal burning, pollution and hunting among other environmental issues.   Global warming has become an environmental issue as days pass by and people continue interfering with the natural setting of the environment and its constituents.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It entails the increase in temperatures in the atmosphere. It is mostly fueled by human activities which in one way or the other contribute to production of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere for instance through deforestation and pollution which could be as a result of various emissions for example from industries and vehicles as well as burning of fossil fuels. Global warming is a factor of climate change on the negative side. Adverse climate change affects all living organisms negatively by interfering with their growth and sustainability as it affects aspects such as oxygen circulation in the atmosphere as well as in the seas and oceans, the amount of rainfall received and effects of radiation as a result of destruction of the ozone layer. Global warming affects the existence of the polar bears through the effects it has especially on the oceans and seas, from which the polar bears get food, through hunting. Deforestation is also another environmental issue that affects the polar bears. Being animals that live on land and forests to be specific, the existence of forests and their constituents is a key issue that contributes to their survival. This is through conducive environment offered by the forests as well as accommodation. Just like human beings, polar bears are affected by pollution and its effects. Pollution could take various forms for instance air pollution, water pollution, soil/land pollution as well as noise. Tourism is another aspect that has affected the environment in general and the existence of the polar bears in particular. This is especially where the tourism activities in a given region exceed its capacity limit for instance in terms of the visitors who can visit an area at a time. Thi s leads to over exploitation of the resources that are necessary for sustainability of both the environment and the organisms contained therein. Hunting is nonetheless the major issue that threatens the existence of the polar bear and increases their rate of decline hence leading to their extinction. This is so because hunting has been carried out in large scale to an extent of raising not only local but also international concern and intervention (through controls and quotas) for the sake of conserving the species for the future. Hunting of the polar bear has for a long period of time been a key aspect for the indigenous people in the Arctic region. This is because they have considered polar bear as a very crucial source of significant raw materials which include things such as fur used for clothing and footwear, meat, fat for lighting households as well as for food, sinews and other body parts such as the heart and gallbladder which are manipulated through drying, powdering and pr oper storage and used for medicinal purposes among others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An Exploration of the Application of Environmental Ethical Thought to Animal Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Any measure that is put forth in an effort to either control hunting or avoid it completely has therefore been received negatively and with a lot of resistance.  A good example to illustrate the scope of hunting as an environmental problem that is associated with the polar bear is to look at its nature in Canada and the United States of America. In Canada, it is estimated that approximately 500 polar bears get killed by the people living in the country through hunting each year. This has been linked to the fact that Canada has had very lenient regulations in regard to hunting, giving people a lot of freedom to do what they wish. All in all, this is an alarming number that calls for some actions to be taken if the future of the polar bear species is to be kept at a sustainable level for the sake of both the current period as well as the future. In the United States of America, the situation is not any better. Hunting has been associated with decline in the number of polar bears in this nation. In the year 2008 for example, polar bear was identified as a vulnerable species, an aspect that led to its inclusion in the endangered species Act that governs all species that are deemed to be at a risk of extinction. Following this Act, all activities in relation to polar bears were banned especially importation of polar bear products such as trophies (Hemstock 1999). These examples are enough evidence that hunting is a threat towards the existence and prosperity of polar bear in any given region. This therefore necessitates that strict actions be taken in regard to conservation of the environment through advocating for environmental friendly operations that ensure that none of the parties inv olved, be it the human individuals, the animals or even the ecosystem at large, suffer from the activities that would otherwise be avoided or carried out in an appropriate manner. The nature of the environmental problem Human beings are the major elements that are associated with both the positive and negative impacts on the environment and hence the effects on living organisms that exist in the environment for instance the polar bears. This is through the practices people are involved in, with respect to how they live, work and their general consumption patterns. The increase in population growth for instance has had lots of adverse effects on the environment as it is linked with the encroachment of the marginal areas as the number of people exceed the available land, it also leads to over consumption of natural resources for example the forests as sources of fuel and in the long run leads to pollution due to production of waste products for instance through charcoal burning.Advert ising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The lack of dependence on agriculture and shift to other sectors has also led to rural urban migration which affects the environment adversely due to inadequate water and sanitation services, deterioration of transport systems and shortage of appropriate housing facilities. All these factors lead to pollution (air, soil and water) and land degradation. Human modifications to the environment have led to loss of wildlife like the polar bears, acid rains, and the depletion of the ozone layer due to excess pollution and deforestation which destroys biodiversity. Industrialization and modernization in the Arctic have also been deemed to have adverse effects on the environment for instance deterioration of the quality of air caused by the emissions from industries and plants as well as vehicles. The wastes from industries also affect the quality of water because in most cases they are directed to the sources of water such as rivers, seas and oceans. The utilization of fossils as a source of energy has also led to depletion of natural resources and global warming due to greenhouse gases (Gottlieb 2004). Although human beings and their activities is deemed to be the be the main factor associated with the general environment and animals and their rights in particular, as discussed above, the consequences brought about by their actions are far more engaging and they affect a variety of elements including the human beings themselves, the animal species therein as well as the ecosystem in one way or the other. Attitudes and values involved People’s attitudes and values towards polar bear are usually based upon how harmful or beneficial they consider them to be. According to Shellenberger and Nordhaus (2005), the decisions we make in regard to how we handle or rather manage polar bears is dependant upon our attitudes as well as values towards the polar bears. He further asserts that since the polar bears are also associated with some adverse effects towards the huma n kind, there is a need for them to create sufficient benefits to a majority of people as a way of countering these effects.  The issue of animal rights has been faced with a lot of controversy of whether it is justifiable. Although the idea of advocating and maintaining some rights upon animals have been supported by a considerable number of individuals and groups, it has also been criticized negatively with some arguing that animals should not be awarded any rights since they are not able to form any significant social relationships and they have no moral responsibilities or obligations. Criticism also comes from the responsible bodies like the animal rights movement. People also argue that there is absolutely nothing wrong or rather unethical in all processes and activities that are aimed at using animals as resources and neglecting their rights as long as the activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering or pain to the animals and in the same time, they bring considerable benefits to the human kind. Polar bears are known to be very friendly, clam and timid and hence they generally pose no threats to human beings. Their nature has however led to human beings engaging in excessive hunting as they do not consider them to be harmful. It is however evident that most individuals are willing to change their negative attitudes towards the polar bears in an effort to maintain a healthy relationship and more so ensure sustainability of the now scarce species. Recommendations The situation that surrounds the polar bears necessitates that strategic plans and programs are put in place in order to save the situation and avoid further damage. A good recommendation is that there should be campaign and education programs aimed at instilling the importance of conserving the environment among individuals and groups as a means towards reducing the negative effects of human activity on the environment more especially hunting. This will ensure that the people will be enli ghtened and therefore work towards safeguarding the environment for their own good and for the sake of the generations to come. Information of how a healthy and beneficial relationship could be established between people and the polar bears would help greatly in ensuring that people avoid any dangerous activities that could either affect them or the polar bears. Rising awareness play an essential role in changing people’s attitudes and behavior and hence help people to leave safely with the polar bears. Education usually ensure that people have a deeper understanding of the polar bear behavior and ecology, enhance strategies that are aimed towards reduction of human-bear conflicts and more importantly encourage individuals’ tolerance in regard to both the presence of bears as well as their natural behaviors. The ethical aspects associated with animals and their rights should also be emphasized among individuals so that they may be conscious while handling animals to av oid any form of conflict between human beings, the animals, the environment and environmentalists as well as law enforcers. Establishment and implementation of strict and effective laws and policies to govern the utilization of the environment and handling of the polar bears and other animals is also an effective way of safeguarding the environment and animals. This is because people will be held responsible and accountable for their negative contributions towards the environment and treatment of animals hence reducing the chances of degradation and negative interference to the polar bear population. The bylaws and ordinances are usually effective and play a crucial part in reinforcing other measures such as educational programs. This is because they give people an extra obligation and responsibility rather than just acting out of voluntary will (International Institute for Environment Development 2000).  Other ways through which polar bears could be managed in respect to changin g the values and attitudes that people hold towards the environment and treatment of various animals include imposing of strong and effective hunting rules and regulations and relocation among others. To strengthen the above measures, the potentially hazardous encounters and engagements should be dealt with through appropriate processes that include waste management, proper education and enforcement. Waste management is a crucial aspect towards managing polar bear and reducing any form of conflict that exist between human beings and the polar bears. This is so because garbage and poorly disposed litter usually attract the bears an aspect that may create human-bear conflict. People should therefore engage in proper waste management practices for instance ensuring that the containers used for waste disposal are bare-proof. This will ensure that all chances of addiction are avoided and hence keep the bears at a distance, from the human beings. Non lethal measures are also effective esp ecially when used in conjunction with other measures. The non lethal perspective of dealing with human-bear conflicts offer an appropriate management tool since it is able to incorporate a more comprehensive approach (including touching on the perceptions people have towards the environment) and hence offer long term strategy to polar bear management (Ovsyanikov 1998). Conclusion It is evident that the environment is a very critical element. This is because it affects all organisms that are dependent in one way or the other. It is the responsibility of every individual to be involved in activities that are geared towards maintaining a sustainable environment for the sake of the benefits they accrue to it currently as well as what is to be drawn from it in future by them and the future generations. There has been increased concern, by various parties, for aspects of the environment for instance the conservation of biodiversity, the need for public safety as well as damage done on pro perty. Animal rights is a controversial aspect that has raised different ethical concerns in regard to what should be considered to be right or wrong in regard to treatment of animals. Some people state that animals have no right due to their nature of lack of social and moral responsibilities while others still argue that they do deserve to be awarded some rights and any form of unnecessary suffering and pain should be avoided. All in all, it is important that people be aware of the importance they derive from the polar bears and animals in general so that they may learn to handle them with due care in an effort to guarantee sustainability that will in turn ensure that mutual benefits are enjoyed for the longest period of time possible. Reference List Gottlieb, S.R. (2004). The Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment. New York: Routledge Hemstock, A. (1999). The Polar Bear. Minnesota: Capstone Press International Institute for Environment Development (2000). Sustainable Cities Revisited III – 7060iied. United Kingdom: IIED Johnson, J. (2006). Polar Bear. North Mankato, MN: Black Rabbit Books Ovsyanikov, N. (1998).Polar Bears. Minnesota: Voyageur Press Shellenberger, M., Nordhaus, T. (2005). The death of environmentalism: Global warming politics in a post-Environmental world. Social policy, UK: Spring This essay on An Exploration of the Application of Environmental Ethical Thought to Animal Rights was written and submitted by user Sidney Frederick to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Study for AP Exams 5-Step Plan

How to Study for AP Exams 5-Step Plan SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Preparing for AP exams can feel like a Sisyphean task. On top of keeping up with the demanding coursework and all your other obligations, you have to prepare for a three-hour, multi-part exam? Yes, you do- butmore importantly, you can! If you don’t know how to study for AP exams, this is the guide for you. I’ll cover all the major steps to AP success, including content review, exam skill-building, and prepping for triumph on test day. 5 Essential Steps to AP Test Preparation Once the school year is underway, it can be easy to get caught up in the whirl of classes and clubs, and completely forget about test prep. And even once you do remember, you might not know how to study for AP tests. Never fear- read on for ourfive-step AP prep plan! Step 1: Establish What You Need to Review/Learn About halfway through the school year is when you’ll want to start studying for AP exams. This is the ideal time since you’ll have plenty of time to prep andwill know enough information to really get into reviewing content. A crucial first step to AP prep is to establish what you need to review or learn for the purposes of the exam.There are a few resources you’ll want to gather in order to do this: Syllabus for your AP class Any of your old tests,quizzes, or papers "AP Course and Exam Description" for the course You can find this last document on the main course page for the class, which you can access onthe College Board’s AP Student list of AP courses.Note that for courses that haven’t been revised in a long time, this is just called the "AP Course Description." This document offersa comprehensive description of the skills and content areas that will be tested on the exam. You’ll want to review, at least on a high level, all the major content areas from your AP course. But since it’s not efficient to try to retain every single piece of information your teacher tells you, your AP prep should be specifically focused on reviewing what you need to know for the exam. Once you have all your documents gathered, compare your class’s syllabus with the AP Course and Exam Description. Your class should cover all the major content areas- the syllabus had to get approved by the College Board, after all! That said, teachers do have some discretion on the specifics of what they can cover within the College Board’s broader structures. By comparing the two documents to see whether there are areas your class syllabus focused on in less (or more) detail than is necessary for the exam, you'll get an idea of what you should target in your own studying. Concepts you covered sparsely in class should be reviewed more closely, whilethings you covered more in-depth might not need to be reviewed as much. Your tests and quizzes are also important in establishing areas you should review. You don’t need to spend as much time reviewing material you got high marks on. By contrast, you should be sure to focus on reviewing content areas for which your test and quiz scores were weaker. The AP Course and Exam Description will also clarify for youwhat exam skills you need to build. Are there free-response math questions? Short answers? Essays? You’ll want to make sure you know how to succeed on all parts of the AP test. So plan to practice working on all question types. In sum, this is what you’ll want to review: Content High-level review of all major content areas of your course/test Focus more on areas where your knowledge is weaker, as determined by your AP quiz and test grades and the AP Course and Exam Description whencompared with your class syllabus Exam Skills Be prepared to answer all question types on the AP exam Student diligentlyreviewing the AP Course and Exam Description (artist's representation). Step 2: Make a Study Plan Once you’ve figured out what you need to review, you'll need tocome up with a review schedule. This doesn’t have to be super specific- you don’t have to know exactly what you are going to cover every single day. But you should have a general idea of what content areas you'll be reviewing and what skills you'll be working on every week leading up to the test. This is another time your class syllabus will come in handy, as you’ll be able to plot out your review schedule in a way that makes sense. You’ll want to review all the major content areas you have covered or will cover in class. But it doesn’t make a lot of sense to review something before your teacher has gone over it! So schedule the things you’re going to learn later for later review. You’ll want to weigh your prep plan more toward content review when you begin to prepare, and thenshift it more toward exam prep asyou get closer to test day. Assuming you're preparing over the course of several months, the first few weeks of your prep schedule should be dedicated almost entirely to reviewing content, and the last few weeks should be dedicated mostly to taking practice exams and doing practice questions. Here’s a sample study plan a studentmight make for the few months leading up to her AP Euro exam: Week Learning in Class Content to Review Prep to Complete 1 Turn of the century Make outlines and flash cards for Renaissance (Italian vs Northern), 100 Years’ War, black plague Look over some old free-response questions and a few sample multiple-choice questions 2 WWI Make outlines and flash cards for Reformation, religious wars Write practice DBQ and get Mr. Smith to score 3 WWI Make outlines and flash cards for Columbus, other explorers, 30 Years’ war Write practice FRQ and get Mr. Smith to score 4 Russian Revolution Make outlines and flash cards for absolutist rulers, agricultural revolution Take complete timed multiple-choice section 5 Between the world wars Make outlines and flash cards for slave trade and colonialism, Enlightenment Work on thesis statements and outlining practice for DBQ 6 WWII Make outlines and flash cards for French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Napoleon Work on thesis statements and outlining practice for FRQ 7 WWII Make outlines and flash cards for Nationalism, Marxism, socialism Practice DBQ and FRQ and get Mr. Smith to score 8 The Cold War Make outlines and flash cards for Western imperialism, WWI Take complete timed multiple-choice section 9 The Cold War Make outlines and flash cards for Russian revolution, between the wars, WWII, Cold War Take complete practice test 10 Post Cold War Review outlines and flashcards Final practice FRQ (timed) In-class review Review outlines and flashcards Final practice DBQ (timed) 12 (test week!) Final review and test prep! Final outline review/flashcards Rest up! See, this business suit lady gets the importance of making a study plan. Step 3: Find Content Review Resources A high-quality review book is your best friend in AP prep. We currently have guides to the best review books for AP Psychology, AP Biology, AP US History and AP Chemistry.Beyond that, The Princeton Review and Barron’s generally make reliable review books for AP tests. Supplemental resources beyond areview book can also be helpful. Your textbook for the course, beyond providing explanations of key concepts, likelyincludespractice questions or tests at the end of each chapter. You can also look for podcasts, watch YouTubevideos, and use websites such as Khan Academy for content review purposes. Another option is tomake your own resources.I can’t recommend Quizletenough. With this website, you can make your own flashcards and then quiz yourself using various tools. You have to make an account to be able to use it, but the service itself is free. Once you’ve amassed all your review tools, you’ll be ready to review content. However, you’ll still need to practice AP exam questions! Be sure to really drill down in your search for high-quality AP resources. Step 4: Find Practice Exams and Questions In addition to content review materials, you’ll want to find practice exams and questions to build specific AP test competencies.The best AP practice questions and tests are those created by the College Board- the group that makes the AP exams. As a result, their materials will be most similar to the real AP test you’ll take in the spring. So where can you find College Board AP resources? In three places: In the AP Course and Exam Description booklet. Remember the AP Course and Exam Description booklet I mentioned above for figuring out what you need to review? It also has sample exam questions (of all types!) in the back. Hurrah! Official free-response questions.The College Board has kindly released free-response questions (and sample responses) from previous testing years. You can get these by going to the College Board’s AP exam information page and clicking on your desired exam; scrolling down from that page will take you to the free-response questions. The College Board also sometimes releases complete exams from past years for free. You can usually find these on the College Board exam overview page for your specific test; however,some of these are hard to find even though they're hosted on the College Board website. If you're having trouble finding tests for your exam, Google the name of your test along with "previously released materials college board" or "complete released exams college board" to find the free exams. For your convenience, here are the previously released materials pages for some of the most popular AP exams: AP English Literature and Composition 2012 Exam 1999 Exam 1987 Exam AP Chemistry 1999 Exam 1994 Exam AP US History 2017 Practice Exam AP Psychology 2012 Exam 1999 Exam 1994 Exam AP Biology 2013 Exam 1999 Exam AP Statistics 2012 Exam 1997 Exam AP Environmental Science 1998 Exam AP Calculus AB Sample 2014 Questions 2012 Exam 1998 Exam 1988 Exam AP US Government and Politics 1999 Exam AP Macroeconomics 2012 Exam 1995 Exam We’ve also gathered some practice question and exam materials for you here: AP World History AP Psychology AP Biology AP Chemistry AP US History AP English Language and Composition AP Human Geography AP English Literature and Composition Step 5: Get to Work and Stay on Schedule Once you’ve gathered all your materials- content review as well as practice questions and tests- it’s time to get to work! How many hours you need to spend on studying for AP tests every week is going to depend a lot on how much material you need to review and how comfortable you are with the format of the exam questions.In general, though, you should expect to study for several hours a week split over two to three sessions. Setting specific times and places for your AP studying will help you stay consistent and keep pace with your review schedule! With good content review and a solid approach to practice exams (more on this later), maintaining a consistent studying pace and schedule will catapult you to exam success. The true path to AP success: the trebuchet. AP Review: 3 General Tips As you review course material in preparation for your AP exam, here are some things to keep in mind. #1: Be Aware Of Your Own Learning Style Focus on review methods that work for you and not against you. If you’re a visual learner, don’t force yourself to listen to recorded lectures; draw diagrams or mind maps instead. Or if you’re an auditory learner, find podcasts and audio booksto listen to for concept review. #2: Review Material More Than Once It’s generally accepted that you need to encounter a piece of information several times before you really start to retain it. Therefore, plan to review essential information for the test more than once. The more important it is, the more times you should go over it. #3: Engage With the Material The more you interact with the material you're studying, the better you’ll retain it. If you can do some kind of activity with the information- such as practice problems, outline-writing, flashcard-making, etc.- you'll be able to remember it better. Not this kind of engagement! How to Make the Most Of AP Practice Tests Since College Board AP practice tests and resources are limited, you want to make sure you make the most of them.Here are my top three tips for how to do this effectively: #1: Take an Entire Practice Exam Under AP Test Conditions It will be a huge help for you to take an entire practice test under actual AP-like conditions. So with a timer, in a quiet room, with short breaks- the whole nine yards. If you only have one complete practice test you can use, do this toward the end of your prep time (maybe a few weeks before the test), when you’ve reviewed most of the content already. This will help you get a feel for what the actual test day will be like. And themore comfortable you feel, the better you'll do on the exam! #2: Track Your Progress If you have access to more than one complete practice test, it’s a good idea to also take a practice test toward the beginning of your prep timeso you can figure out what areas you need to work on the most.This will give you a rough benchmark of where you're starting, so then when you take another practice test toward the end of your prep, you’ll be able to see how you’ve improved! #3: Prep for Individual Sections Apart from complete practice tests, practice questions serve as great prep for individual parts of the AP test. Because the College Board has released so many free-response questions, you can practice those over and over again. You don’t necessarily have to do a complete, timed essay every time, although you should practice that. You can also practice outlining your essays or even writing thesis statements for prompts. Work specifically on the skills you need to build. In addition, be sure to look over practice multiple-choice questions closely so you can get a sense of the feel and format of AP multiple-choice questions. Make like an astronaut and prepare for everything! Critical Test-Taking Tips for AP Exam Day When test time arrives, you’ll want to maximize your study time investment with positive test-taking strategies.Here are my top tips to remember for test day: Before Your AP Test Get a good night’s sleep the two nights before the exam.This will help you stay alert and remember everything you’ve studied. Pack your bag for test day the night before. You don’t want to stress yourself out running around looking for your calculator five minutes before the bus comes on exam day. Be sure to also pack a snack and water- you can’t have them during the test, but you’ll appreciate the nourishment during the break! Eat breakfast the morning of your test.Again, you want your brain to be running at full power. Try to stick with a balanced meal that isn't too sugary. Bring lotsand lots of pencils and erasers. The College Board requires #2 pencils on exam day, so don't forget to bring a bunch. Also, bring a good eraser for back-ups and mishaps. During Your AP Test Pace yourself.You’ll be under time pressure for every section, so make sure you knowwhat pace you need to be working at. Periodically check that you're on pace. You can (and should) bring a watch, just so long as it doesn’t beep or have an alarm. Maintain positive self-talk throughout the exam. If there’s something you don’t know, don’t waste time beating yourself up about it. Just keep telling yourself that you are awesome and will crush the rest of the test. Don’t get hung up on a question you’re stuck on. This is true even on the free-response section- move on to the second essay if you’re getting stuck on the first. If you try to break through a mental block full-on, you might end up running out of time. Answer every question- there’s no penalty for guessing! Go through the ones that you know first, and then go back over the test and answer any remaining questions in the time you have left. With all these best test-taking practices, you'll be set up to succeed on your AP test, guaranteed! Don't neglect this critical aspect of test day (bananas optional). How to Prepare for AP Tests: Key Takeaways The AP prep process can be overwhelming. To lend you a hand, though, I'vesummarized how to study AP examsinto digestible steps below. Choose an AP Exam Figure out which classes your school offers and which fit into your schedule. Consider your interests and abilities. Consider how much time you’ll have for studying. Prepare for the Test Establish ways you need to review/learn. Make a study plan. Find content review resources. Find (official) practice questions and tests. Get to work and stay on schedule! AP Content Review Tips Be mindful of your own learning style. Review things more than once. Engage with the material! AP Practice Exam Tips Take at least one complete practice exam under full test-day-like conditions- and do this more than once if there is more than one practice test available to you. Practice individual exam sections, especially free response, to work on skills for those specific sections. Look closely at all sections to ensure you're familiar with the way AP questions are worded! AP Test-Taking Tips Do all the usual best test practices- get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast, pack your bag the night before, and bring extra pencils. Pace yourself and stay on track. Think positive! Don’t get hung up on a single question- it you find yourself stuck, skip it and come back. Answer every question- there’s no penalty for guessing! Ultimately, just remember thatbreaking down the AP into little steps will make it manageable for you to scale the whole AP mountain! AP Mountain (artist's rendition). What's Next? Looking for more information about your AP exam? We've got expert guides to AP US History, AP Chemistry, and AP Psychology. If your AP exam has a DBQ, check out my total overview of the DBQandmy how-to DBQ essay guide. Looking for AP exam resources? Check out our guide to finding quality AP practice tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

How did Ronald Reagan deal with the end of the Cold War Do you think Assignment

How did Ronald Reagan deal with the end of the Cold War Do you think he and Mikhail Gorbachev were partners or opponents - Assignment Example The SDI had lasers and other expertise to wipe out Soviet missiles in USA which lead to huge economic crisis in Soviet Union (D’Souza). The alarming situation of Soviet Union during the end of 1987 was the main reason for the Cold War to end. Mikhail Gorbachev took many reforms and policies to end the Cold War rivalry. His opinions were opposite to Reagan and followed the policies of Stalin. A summit was held in 1986 where Reagan and Gorbachev could not reach any negotiation due to difference in their agreements over missile defence (D’Souza). Later in 1987, new arms treaty was signed between USA and Soviet Union. The main focus of the treaty was to eliminate intermediate range nuclear force from Europe. This was done to reduce the nuclear attacks, collection of weapons and develop peace between the nations. The summit of 1987 addressed on eliminating nuclear forces and use of nuclear powers during war. Regan, Ronald, Cold War, Reference Library, Vol. 4, 2004, Web. August 4, 2014 from:

RFID and the safety concerns of consumers Essay

RFID and the safety concerns of consumers - Essay Example RFID systems are also faster and more secure than other Auto-ID technologies. Even though RFID tags were invented in 1969 and patented in 1973, the technology is now becoming technologically and commercially viable (Brito, 2005). Understanding the RFID devices and how they work is critical for analyzing privacy issues that surround this technology. The main components of an RFID system are a chip/tag, reader, and database. A reader scans the tag for data and sends the information to a database, which stores the data contained on the tag. The chip or the tag is usually made of silicon and it contains information about the item to which it is attached. A chip is used by retailers and manufacturers to identify consumer goods that may contain an Electronic Product Code (â€Å"EPC†). EPC chips are encrypted with a unique product code that identifies the individual product to which it is attached, and can be read using radio frequency. These codes contain the type of data that product manufacturers and retailers will use to track the authenticity and location of goods throughout the supply chain. RFID chip may also contain information other than an EPC, such as biometric data. The antenna attached to the chip is responsible for transmitting information to the reader, using radio waves. Generally, the bigger the antenna, the longer the read range. The chip and antenna together is referred to as a transponder or, more commonly, as a tag. The reader (or scanning device) also has its own antenna, which it uses to communicate with the tag. Readers vary in size, weight, and power, and may be mobile or stationary. Although anyone with access to the proper reader can scan an RFID tag, RFID systems can employ authentication and encryption to prevent unauthorized reading of data. A reader can scan a tag without physically â€Å"seeing† it. Further, RFID readers can process multiple items at one time, resulting in a

The business and financial performance of an organisation over a three Dissertation

The business and financial performance of an organisation over a three year period - Dissertation Example The company ranked within the Top 20 of all the online businesses. In the category of fashion clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories, ASOS has claimed the number 1 spot and now believes itself to have no competitor. Most probably, the management means that the other companies have stores while ASOS does not maintain stores. The organization is guided by its desire to give importance to people and the environment. To achieve acceptable working standards towards providing quality consumer goods, ASOS joined ETI or Ethical Trade Initiative, a business alliance of trade unions, and NGOs (non-government organizations) that try to improve people’s lives. It has its own â€Å"ASOS Ethical Code of Conduct†. (See appended key principles in Exhibit I) The economy is presently still recovering from the effects of recession after two years. ASOS is one of those corporations based in the UK that faced a great challenge against the recession, except for one big difference. As o f April 13, 2011, this fashion retailer which operates online far exceeded the performance of UK in terms of recovery from the economic recession. â€Å"In the three months to the end of March, international sales rose 161% to ?48.4 million compared with a year ago.UK sales were up 24% to ?44.9 million.† according to BBC (2011b). ... This provides an opportunity to utilize Financial Accounting tools and the Qualitative Techniques for a careful analysis of the business operations in order to discover how the company performed its business operations. It helps to identify the various sources of funding the business has used and its ability to takeout any more loans, the costs it’s incurring and its returns. It also allows to assess the risks involved in its operation and to make an estimate for its future performance. It will be a challenge to unravel the mystery of ASOS performance. There was no news about how the company arrived at an excellent result of operations. But there were praises. First of all, the company Annual Reports are available online. Secondly, this is a modern way of doing business in the fashion clothing industry, because most retailers are selling mostly through departments stores opened in many countries, while ASOS focuses more on online fashion retailing. Knowing more about financial management for such operations will add more education and insights for the eventual readers of this formal paper. Studying the financial data, strategies, and other aspects surrounding the business of ASOS will also lead to discoveries about the risks involved, the opportunities of investing by buying stocks of ASOS in the near future, and factors or indicators about the prospects of good or bad future performance. Finally, this kind of business is new to most people. The hope is that by analyzing the available information, something new will be added to the field of knowledge. 1.2 Project objectives The objectives are: To be able to review and analyze the Annual Reports using the qualitative and

History of perodua analysis

History of perodua analysis Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (PERODUA), established in 1993. In Malaysia Perodua is second automobile manufacturer which after Proton. It is a joint venture company between Malaysian and Japanese. The shareholders of Perodua are UMW Corporation Sdn Bhd 38%, MBM Resources Berhad 20%, Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd 20%, PNB Equity Resource Corporation Sdn Berhad 10%, Daihatsu (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 5%, Mitsui Co. Ltd 4.2% and Mitsui Co, (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd 2.8% (Corporate Information n.d). Perodua does not contend with Proton for the similar market niche because Perodua mostly produce small-compact cars. Since end of 2009, Perodua has sold some 1.67 million units of vehicle of a variety of models. Perodua also sell overseas their cars to UK, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 1.2 Background of Perodua Perodua is located on a 138-hectare site in Sungai Choh, Rawang, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Besides, in the year of 2001, Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd (PCSB) was established in the final quarter year. Furthermore, there are also another two joint venture partners of PCBS from Japan which are Daihatsu Motor.Co.Ldt. and Mitsui Co. Ltd. The PCBS are being managed the manufacturing operations of the Perodua Group (Corporate Information, 2010). 1.3 Mission and Vision 1.3.1 Mission Perodua mission is to Professionalism in all our operations Efficiency in utilizing technologies and available resources Resilience in meeting our challenges Optimizing benefits to customers and stakeholders Dedication towards social responsibility to community, the environment and development of competent workforce Uniqueness in our products Aspiration to glorify the name of PERODUA 1.3.2 Vision The vision of Perodua is to be the most preferred automotive brand renowned for products and services of excellent quality which contributes to the development of the nation. 1.4 Product Milestone Below is the list of the vehicle that Perodua produce: The Perodua Kancil-August 1994 The Perodua Rusa March 1996 The Perodua Kembara August 1998 The Perodua Kenari   June 2000 The Perodua Kelisa August 2001 The Perodua Myvi May 2005 The Perodua Viva   May 2007 The Perodua Nautica 4WD May 2008 The Perodua Alza November 2009 (Corporate Information, 2010) 2.0 Analysis of Market Environment Factors that Affect this Company For a company it is very necessary to have updated date and to have a close watch and to assess the ever changing environment around them. There are 2 types of environment and there are Micro Environment and Macro Environment (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1 The Micro Environment The close forces to the company that have effect on its capability to get the goods successfully to the customer. While for the micro environment consists of 6 factors (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.1 Customer Customer can be divided into 5 types of markets to get a better idea on them which are: 2.1.1 (a) Consumer Market The person who buys the product for consumption is called the consumer market (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua Company comes with varies vehicles that can attract buyers especially these who want an affordable yet efficient vehicle. The company mostly targets on individuals or families who want to buy quality car at a premium as Perodua Company sets up the prices that are reasonable and affordable by most consumers. Perodua Myvi is product on May 2005 by Perodua Company which is one of the examples for individual or family use. 2.1.1 (b) Business Market The companies which buy goods and services are to be used in the production id other goods (Pride.et.al, 2007). For instance, Perodua Company buys the parts from other countries but the assembling is done in Malaysia. 2.1.1(c) Reseller Market The companies that purchases the goods or services and resell the product without making any changes to it (Pride.et.al, 2007). For examples, Perodua dealers get the product from the main company and finally distribute to them without making any changes of the cars. 2.1.1 (d) Government Market For government market they may purchase it to be used it in the production of goods and services (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, the model of Perodua Myvi, Perodua Kancil, Perodua Viva are provided to the government for the use of National Parade Day. 2.1.1 (e) International Market The products used for the use of the government to carry on with the government duties (Pride.et.al, 2007). For international market, Perodua Myvi purchases for the overseas market such as United Kingdom, Singapore, Brunei, Fiji, Nepal and Sri Lanka. 2.1.2 Company This segment is about the togetherness which should be there among all departments so that the product will be delivered to the customer in the desired time. This process will be an incomplete process if there are disagreements between departments, which will result in a delay of not delivering the product to the customer on time (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.3 Competitors There are two types of competitors that will affect the sales of Perodua Company which are direct and in direct competitors. 2.1.3 (a) Direct Competitors The companies which manufacture the same products within the same industry (Pride.et.al, 2007). For instance, Suzuki, Toyota and Proton are Perodua Companys direct competitors as the companies sell similar types of vehicles within the same industry. 2.1.3(b) Indirect Competitors Indirect competitors mean that when any company which competes for the same customer dollar (Pride.et.al, 2007). The indirect competitors for Perodua will be Toyota, Proton, Naza, Honda, BMW, and Mercedes. This is because they are also produce cars and they are also competing for the consumer dollars (Corporate Information, 2009). 2.1.4 Suppliers Suppliers could be defined as those who supply the necessary parts to build the product. The supplier influences the quality and delivery of the ended product. Suppliers should be from a reliable source and should be consistent at an arms reach (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.5 Marketing Intermediaries Marketing Intermediaries is also known as the middle man. The mediating is usually done by a company in order to distribute or promote goods to the customer (Pride.et.al, 2007). The sales Manager stated that Giga Shipping Company transports all the Perodua Products worldwide. There is also a trailer company which provides trailer service to transport products around Malaysia (Personal Development Leadership, n.d). Besides marketing intermediaries, mediating can also be financially. As an example, EON bank, RHB Bank, Islam Bank act as a mediator in order to promote Peroduas cars. These companies provide a loan system so that the customers could have a minimum payment monthly and enjoy the same benefits of a comfortable car. 2.1.6 Publics Publics could be defined as a crowd of people who have an interest in a company and also who make an impact to an organization to achieve its objectives. Moreover, a company will take this consideration and try building up relationships and also offer helpfulness to these groups. There are the 7 types of publics such as local, media, citizen action, government, general, internal and financial (Pride.et.al, 2007). 2.1.6 (a) Local A community relations officer is appointed by the company to be present at meetings with the local publics (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua Myvi customer are eligible to join the club via (http://www.myviclub.com/). There is a public relations officer is appointed from Perodua Company regarding this club. On the other hand, the officer also can meet with the customer and makes interaction with the customer. 2.1.6 (b) Financial The company issues an annual publication which is the annual report which also includes the financial statements in the company. The shareholders were given by the company (Pride.et.al, 2007). All the Perodua Company share holders receive the annual report of the company in order to keep the shareholders informed about the financial status of the company (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.1.6 (c) Media Media can be described as a company would promote their product more with a positively media coverage (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, Perodua Company promotes Perodua Myvi on television advertisements. The official advertisement is telecasted on television. Also, they also advertise the product on the World Wide Web (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.1.6 (d) General The general publics view in the company is called general (Pride.et.al, 2007). Through our research, most of the customer would like to view on the Perodua Company. Hence, positive or negative, it is basically what the customer thinks about the company. 2.2 Macro Environment The societal forces that influence the organizations ability to provide the customers are called macro environment factors which are 6 factors. 2.2.1 Political Legal The legislation and laws which influences the industry, marketers should be on watch out of the laws which can involve the company in the future (Pride.et.al, 2007). Since Perodua Company is fully owned by the government of Malaysia, the tax is already included in the price of the vehicle. Therefore, the government gets a sum of charges (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.2.2 Economic Environment The Economic environment investigates the disposable income levels. In addition, the economic conditions include the business cycle, inflation, interest rate and inflations rates (Pride.et.at, 2007). 2.2.2(a) Inflation Rate 2.2.3 Technological Environment 2.2.4 Demographic 2.2.5 Cultural 2.3 How the Company faces Threats and how they convert them to Opportunity The SWOT analysis is known as the tool to asses a companys Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats. Strength and Weakness are known as internal factors while Opportunity and Threats are known as the positive conditions which could bring plunder to the company if acted in the necessary way. For Threats, it can be defined as the barriers which prevent the Company from reaching the companys objectives. When a company puts out a new product, there could be threats which come the companys way. Then the company should be ready with a defensive strategy to stand up against the threat and that strategy is known as Opportunity (Pride.et.at, 2007). After the release of Perodua Myvi, the company has faced several threats. So, to get rid of these threats of Perodua Company, Perodua Company came made that threats into opportunity by making up a strategic plan (Corporate Information, 2010). 2.3.1 The Entry to the Domestic Market The entrance of Perodua to the market was in the year of 1993 and it also result a massive change in the industry. Nissan and Toyota were dominating the market which result Perodua getting a small slice in the market. And Perodua got a boost because Indonesia. This is because they tend to sell about 500 Perodua Myvi cars in a month (paultan.org, 2010). 2.3.2 The Support Since Perodua was quite new to the domestic market, as mentioned previously there was also because of Indonesia. As a result of this undertaking of Indonesia, the workforce of Perodua was sent to Japan for a special training to learn more about engineering skills and assembling skills. This opportunity could be known as a Human Resource 2.3.3 The Competitors Perodua is known as the second National Car producer in Malaysia which is after Proton Company. But, the competitors to Perodua are from the domestic Market as well as the International Market. The Domestic competitors are named as Proton and Naza while the competitors from the international market are Toyota, BMW and Mercedes. Through these competitors are threats to the company, Peroduas strategic plan has kept them as the best car in the Malaysia up-to-date. Besides, Perodua Company is always on the watch out of product life cycle. So, if any company comes out with any new model, Perodua will try to modify the existing model or trying to put out a new model. All in all, company will always want to produce products according to customer trends and not company trends. If the company produces according to the company trends then the sales can go down. But, if the company acts according to the customer trends there can be good sales. 3.0 Target Market 3.1 Target Customer Characteristics Target market involves dividing a market into segments and then concentrating on marketing products on one or a few key segments (Pride.et.al, 2007). The target market of Perodua Myvi is segmented by demographic consumer such as the businessman who likes to work and it is convenient to them. Therefore, the comfort of the passenger is the main target. Also, the vehicle price of Perodua Myvi is affordable and reasonable for the customers which fulfill their demands too. Furthermore, the first target market strategy used is differentiated marketing. Differentiated market is the organization selects several market segments and designs different marketing mixes for each segment (Pride.et.al, 2007). The Perodua Company has used different strategy to attract different customers. Therefore, the Perodua Company offered the other vehicles for its different target segments to meet the customer demands. Some of the customers are looking for more convenient cars such as Perodua Viva while customers with big family would like to choose Perodua Alza. Another target market strategy used is undifferentiated marketing. The marketing mix, which are the 4Ps are the organization at the whole market. Besides, the organizations also used to avoid other segments from existing, the organization chooses to mass market (Pride.et.al, 2007). For example, 30 September of 2009, Citibank credit card deals have organized Perodua Myvi 10X rewards points Easy Pay Campaign. This is use to the customer can make a down payment by using the Citibank credit card and enjoy 0% interest on the customer down payment and 10X rewards point (Citibank Perodua Myvi 10X Rewards Points Easy Pay Campaign, 2009). While for the last target market strategy used is concentrated marketing. There are one or two segments will be selected by the company and a marketing mix for these few segments will be proposed (Pride.et.al, 2007). Therefore, the aim of Perodua Company use concentrated marketing strategy is not to maximize sales; it is efficiency, attracting a large portion of once section while controlling costs. 4.0 Product 4.1 Product Lines that are offered A product line is viewed as a unit because of marketing, technical or for end-use considerations, by groups of closely related product items (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua have released many models of Myvi to suit the different taste of the customers. Firstly, there is the original Myvi and now comes with another two different versions which is the Myvi SE and the Myvi EE (Exclusive Edition). Each of these models comes with a different pricing and specifications. 4.2 Core, Actual and Augmented When purchasing tangible product, the buyer will not only obtain the product itself, but also all the extra things that come together with the product. This is also known as total product. The total product of the item can be separated into three categories which are the core product, actual product and augmented product. 4.2.1 Core Product Core products are the essential benefits that the buyer want when purchasing the product. The actual benefit that the buyers get when purchasing a Perodua Myvi is transportation. Buying a Perodua Myvi allows the buyer can move around in a vehicle without depending on public transport. This allows the buyer to be able to travel to any destination at any time without relying on the rigid time frame of a public transport. 4.2.2 Actual Product Actual products are the fundamental expectation of the buyer of the product (Pride.et.al, 2007). The consumers most basic expectations from buying a Perodua Myvi are the style and design of the car. In the Perodua official website it is stated that the design of Perodua Myvi is a mix of classy and sporty characteristic (Perodua 2009). Besides that, there are many colours for the buyer to customize the Perodua Myvi to suit the their taste. The engine of Perodua is also manufactured in Japan by Daihatsu. The Perodua Myvi is also known to be more fuel efficient as compared to other cars sold in the market. It is said that Perodua Myvi Auto uses around 13.5 km per litre and the Perodua Myvi manual is clocked at approximately 17.1km per litre of petrol (Tan, P 2009). The Perodua Myvi is readily built with air-conditioner and entertainment system with the latest audio technology like mp3 and a USB reader (Perodua 2009). The consumer can have the option of the transmission of the car to be automatic or manual. To prevent the car from being stolen, Perodua Myvi is equipped with a security system which includes an engine immobiliser. The only way to unlock the immobilizer to start the car is by using the owners car keys. As a result, if somebody breaks into the car, they wont be able start the car by using duplicated keys or by tampering with the wires. 4.2.3 Augmented Product The augmented products are the additional services the consumer will receive when buying the product. The augmented product of buying a Perodua Myvi is that it easier to apply for a loan compared to other imported cars because it is a national car. Besides that, Perodua provide services like parts replacement and repair at their service centre. The spare parts of Perodua Myvi are also easily available compared to imported cars. Other than that, Perodua also provide an extended warranty service for free (Perodua, 2009). 4.3 Branding, Packaging, Labeling, Warranty, Customer Service 4.3.1 Branding (Shenron, 2009) Branding is a blend of a term, sign, name, symbol or design which is used to recognize and distinguish products and companies (Pride.et.al, 2007). Perodua has a small car like Myvi with a big future. Hence, Malaysias leading compact carmaker is always taken by Perodua. Besides, their management team still not really satisfied with their position at the top and their research and development facilities have given the most critical activity, innovation in design and creative engineering methods. Nowadays, Perodua is now able to deliver more stylish, unique, and cars with an attractive price to their consumers. This new brand statement, Building Cars, People First, is Peroduas new visual identity (Interbrand, 2010). Perodua expects to manage all their customers in harmony with their guiding vision. Besides, Perodua was at the position of seventh most valuable Malaysia brand in Interbrands 2007 survey and it looks set to continue get build up and enhance. This shows that Perodua try their very best to respond their customer satisfactory. 4.3.2 Warranties and Customer Services Perodua Company consists of customer service which is known as smart assist. In the even of a breakdown, members can call the toll free number: 1-800-88-5555. The call centre will dispatch a rescue team to the location of the vehicle. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Besides, all the customer service agents practice a friendly, thoughtful, humble and committed routine to give their customers very best service. Furthermore, 1-hour Superservis also provided and this service is a speedy service package that comes with a money-back guarantee once the customers car is not serviced in one hour. While for the warranty period, Perodua Company has given 3-year/100,000km manufacturers warranty. For the extended warranty is plus 3-year/75,000km. ETP is stand for Extended Warranty Programme which is an extension of the Basic Warranty Coverage that comes with your Perodua by giving the customer an additional coverage period (Perodua, 2010). 4.3.3 Product life Cycle Product life cycle can be defined as progression of a product through development, introduction, growth, maturity and decline stage. 4.3.3 (a) Development Product development is the incubation stage of the product life cycle. There are no sales and the firm prepares to introduce the product. 4.3.3 (b) Introduction In introduction stage, the product has just appeared in the market with the company having little profit or the negative profit as there is only little consumer awareness on the product. In this stage, the company increases the awareness of the public about the product through promotion or advertising. The Perodua Myvi is marketed to the public through local mediums such as newspapers, radio and television. 4.3.3 (c) Growth During the growth stage, sales start to increase rapidly but the promotion costs are still high due to increasing consumer awareness thru advertising and etc. The growth stage is critical to a products survival because competitive reactions to the products success during this period will influence the products life expectancy. The profits begin to decline late in this stage as other car competitors enter the market with their own cars to compete with the Perodua Myvi. 4.3.3 (d) Maturity During maturity stage, the sale curve peaks as there are maximum sales and production efficiencies lead to maximum profits occurring in this stage. In this stage, the company will want to maintain the sales on the product. In keeping the maturity stage going for as long as possible, the company reintroduces the Perodua Myvi with versions and will also have a facelift. Example of this is the introduction of the Perodua Myvi SE to the market. 4.3.3 (e) Decline In the final stage, which is the decline stage, the sales will fall rapidly. This is because the sales and profits of the product decline. Therefore, the company needs to determine whether to retain or drop the product. The current Perodua Myvi is in a decline stage but is still doing well in the market as it is ranked the top selling car in the country in the compact segment for the third year running in the assessment conducted by J.D. Power Asia Pacific, therefore leading the Perodua Company to continue the production of the car. The graph above illustrates how the product life cycle of Perodua Myvi has reached the maturity stage where the company is making maximum profit from the sales of its product that is the Perodua Myvi. (Managing Products and Brand, n.d). 5.0 Pricing Price is the value exchanged for product in a marketing transaction but price is not always money (Pride.et.al, 2007). There are some pricing strategies that use in Perodua Myvi product. For example, optional product-pricing, psychological pricing and geographical pricing. The optional product-pricing is the pricing the accessory sold with the main product. For instance, car sells with the air-conditioning. While for the psychological pricing is the price set reflects the psychology of pricing and not just the costs. For example, $45900 instead of $46000. Lastly the Perodua company also use the geographical pricing strategies in the Perodua Myvi product. The geographical pricing is pricing products to customers in different parts of the country such as FOB (free on board) and Zone pricing. FOB means that the customers need to pay the freighter fee from the carrier to the final destination and zone pricing is the company set up one zones, the customer in the more distant zones (Pride. et.al, 2007). 5.1 Optional Product Pricing Type of carsThe Perodua Company uses the optional pricing in the Perodua Myvi product, which is the pricing the accessory sold with the main product. The Perodua Myvi is divided into eight type, Myvi 1.0L SR, Myvi 1.3L SX, Myvi 1.3L EZ, Myvi 1.3L SXi, Myvi 1.3L EZi, Myvi SE GHS, Myvi SE ZHS and Myvi 1.3 ZHL. The different accessory of Myvi contains different prices. The different prices are as shown in the table below: (Based on the price listed given in the catalogue) Colour Solid Metallic SMET Myvi 1.0L SR RM 40,721.80 RM41,240.20 Myvi 1.3L SX RM 45,450.20 RM 45,925.20 RM 46,325.20 Myvi 1.3L EZ RM 48,425.50 RM 48,900.20 RM 49300.20 Myvi 1.3L SXi RM48,225.50 RM48,700.20 RM49,100.20 Myvi 1.3L EZi RM 51,240.30 RM 51,700.20 RM52,100.20 Myvi SE GHS RM 51,926.00 RM52,401.00 RM52818.20 Myvi SE ZHS RM 54,940.00 RM 55,426.00 RM 55,826.00 Myvi 1.3 ZHL RM 51,000.00 RM 53,500.20 5.2 Psychological Pricing The psychological pricing is the price set reflects the psychology of pricing and not just the cost. It is also apply in the Perodua Myvi product. Example: (Based on the price list given the catalogue) Myvi 1.3L EZ (solid) RM 48,425.50 Myvi 1.3L EZ (Metallic) RM 48,900.20 Myvi 1.3L EZ (SMET) RM 49300.20 5.3 Geographical Pricing The geographical pricing is the pricing products to customers in different parts of the country. The Perodua Myvi contains different prices according at the different country or different zone. Example (Based on the price list given in the catalogue) The Perodua Myvis Price in Malaysia (1.3L EZi) The Perodua Myvis price in UK (1.3 EZi) RM 52,240.30  £7,499 In the table above shown that the Perodua price in United Kingdom is cheaper once the price convert to Malaysia dollars. The reason Perodua Myvis price in UK is more expensive than Malaysia is because of the sales tax in under vehicle pricing and special interest rate is included (Perodua-uk.com, n.d) 6.0 Distribution According to Perodua Company, there are many branches in Kuching such as at Satok Parade, Jalan Matang and others. The location of Perodua Company can be easily found in Kuching. On the other hand, the Perodua Company also has branches at the overseas country such as in United Kingdom. The Channel organization that is used by the Perodua Company is shown below: 6.1 Conventional Channels The Conventional channels consist of independent producers, wholesalers and retailers. They are all self business which are trying to maximize own profit (Pride.et.al, 2007). 6.2 Vertical Marketing Channels For the vertical marketing channels, the channel members work in a group rather than individually. It is either one who owns the others or they are in contract with each other or has so much power that they all corporate (Pride.et.al, 2007). 6.3 Horizontal Marketing System It is an arrangement with two or more companies at the same level linked together to follow a marketing chance (Pride.et.al, 2007). 7.0 Promotion 7.1 Promotion Goals Promotion is communication by marketers that informs, persuades and reminds potential buyers of a product in order to influence an opinion or to get a response. While inform is a communication used to increase understanding of new brand, or a new product. The company explain how the products function, and recommend the new application for product. The other goals of promotion, persuade the customer to buy now. Finally, remind is a task of retaining the customer knowledge and to call attention to the customers about the importance of the products for they might be used in the future (Pride.et.al, 2007). The promotion goal of Perodua Company in the Perodua Myvi product is inform. Perodua Myvi is still the good selling product in the market. It is convenient and suitable for businessman but also good for small family. In addition, Perodua Company gave information about the Perodua Myvi to society by using several methods, such as brochures, internet advertising through Perodua official websites, road show and many more (Pride.et.al, 2007). 7.2 Promotion Tools To communicate with individuals, groups and organisations, various promotional tactics have been used by Perodua. When Perodua merges specific plans used to manage the integrated marketing communications for Perodua Myvi, that combinations form the promotion mix for Perodua Myvi. Advertisement, personal selling and sales promotion some of the elements of promotion mix. The elements of the marketing communications mix Sources from: (Dolak,D 2009) The main promotion mix used by Perodua in promoting Perodua Myvi is advertisement. Advertisement is the activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media (advertising, 2010). Advertisements used by Perodua are television, the internet, newspapers and prints. The benefit of using advertisement is that it can cover a wide range of audience but is very costly. Personal selling is defined as oral communication with potential buyers of a product with the intention of making a sale (promotion-personal selling, n.d). The advantage of this that it can influence the customer more compare to advertisement. The disadvantage is that it depends on the attitude and the skilfulness of the salesperson to convince the customer. Perodua Myvi is sold through direct selling which is face-to-face by using a sales person. The sales person who does not directly work for the company mostly can lower the price of Perodua Myvi to attract customers. This is because they can deduct the price using their commission. While buying from salesperson at the showroom is more convenient as everything is handled by them and also the quality of the service is much better. Sales promotion refers to many kinds of incentives and techniques directed towards consumers and traders with the intention to produce immediate or short-term sales effects (Definition of Sales Promotion, 2010). Perodua have created many sales promotions to aid in the sales of Perodua Myvi such as the scrapping programme which was scheduled on 1 April 2009. This promotion allows customers to trade-in their old car for a reduction of RM5000 off any Perodua cars (Perodua 2009). Another sales promotion is customers can buy a Perodua Myvi on loan for RM347 a month for the first 5 years. If they booked and registered a Myvi from 13 June to 31 July 2009, the customer is entitled to join their contest. 7.3 Communication Process The communication process is a process whereby the sender is marketing their product to the receiver who is the public and except some feedback from them. Interference in this process which prevents the message being conveyed to the receiver is called noise. One of the noises that can affect Perodua promotion is competitors message. Other automobile companies will also have their own promotions to attract customers. They will always try to convince the customers in believing that their product is better than the rest. When P

Historical Context of The Jewel in the Crown Essay -- Jewel in the Cro

Historical Context of The Jewel in the Crown The historical context of Paul Scott's novel - The Jewel in the Crown - serves to explain and interpret a tragic love story between two characters; Daphne Manners and Hari Kumar. The love story serves to clarify and interpret the social/racial and historical significance of the time period in which it is set - 1942. Their love - a product as well as a victim of the time and events - is an allegory for the relationship between England and India - the White man and the Black man. The Jewel in the Crown demonstrates that the elements of life and love are colorless and timeless and that arrogance and hate are universal. Through a historically accurate setting using imaginary characters we are shown the fictionalized city of Mayapore, India during the British Raj and told the "story of a rape, of the events that led up to it and followed it and of the place in which it happened" (Scott 3). The story is relayed to us, in the most part, through an unnamed narrator that began his quest for answers, concerning the Daphne Manners case, in 1964. He compiles testimonies and documents that reveal the events to us from a variety of realistic perspectives. The information is not given in chronological order but as a person who reminiscences would convey a story. The author effectively uses the characters, time-period and historical events to support the underlying theme of injustice, tragedy and the indomitable human spirit. Daphne and Hari would never have met and fallen in love in any other place during any other time period. 1942, in India, was thei... ...irs indicate she was cognizant of the potential consequences of her love for Hari, her rejection of Ronald Merrick and even of her death as a result of giving birth to the baby. The story ends tragically for Daphne and Hari just as the story ends tragically for the England of old and the India of old - but out of their union a new story begins. Although the offspring of the encounter will not unlearn quickly the evils taught for all those generations before, there is now a hope, "the promise of a story continuing instead of finishing...established for the sake of the future rather than of the past" (Scott 461). The Jewel in the Crown is part historical novel, part mystery, part love story, part allegory (drjohnholleman 6/9/01) - and in all its parts, it will continue to reveal the darkness, in each of us, that has no connection to skin color.

Core Areas of a Successful Business Essay

I.Ethics Leadership and ethics are more than closely related. They are one in the same. A famous quote by James MacGregor Burns sums up the correlation well, â€Å"Divorced from ethics, leadership is reduced to management and politics to mere technique.† (James Macgregor Burns) The quote touches on two very distinct differences. One aspect is leadership, and the other management. One who is a leader has the ability to inspire. He or she can inspire others to work harder, take on tasks thought to be impossible, and the leader could also inspire ideas. The ideas could come directly from a leader, or from those around him or her. A leader has complete clarity and vision. They also have a knack for overcoming obstacles and having others see and share their viewpoint. Another attribute that great leaders possess is the ability to show balance when handling various issues. They are able to balance ethic justice with ethic core. Ethic justice is defined by law and logic, as ethic core is defined by how it influences people on an emotional level. There have been various examples of ethical violations or moral ambiguity in business involving companies such as ENRON and TYCO. These companies were all about the perception of success. However, if someone were to investigate into the numbers, he would see there were serious problems. Hiding debt in dummy companies and offering excessive bonuses to executives are just a few examples of these violations. Where was the oversight? Well, the people who were in charge hand their hands out like everyone else. These individuals seemed oblivious to the consequences of their actions or those who would be hurt in the process due to their greed. Key decisions weren’t made at lower management level. Rather, they were being made at the executive level! Isn’t it the role of effective managers to prevent occurrences like this from happening? What is management’s position in these particular circumstances? Is there a specific procedure they should always follow? II.Processes of Management How do management and leadership differ from one another? It is best simplified by this quote from Peter Drucker, â€Å"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.† The terms manager and leadership are commonly used to mean the same idea, although they serve different purposes. Mr. Drucker gives a glimpse of the differences within his quote. Management is defined as a process that is used within an organization to help accomplish goals. The overall process of management includes planning, organizing, leading, and utilizing individuals and resources available within the organization. Planning is all about strategy and positioning. Having a clear understanding of the company’s objectives will streamline the planning portion of the process. Being able to identify trends are critical in meeting the demands of a business. A well-developed plan will help diminish the chances of failure of an organization. The plan requires structure and a team to deliver the plan. It is important that the structure be in place, and everyone has a clear understanding of their role. The concepts of organizational structures have in practiced for nearly one hundred years. In 1919, a French economic theoretician â€Å"Henri Fayol† published a book titled Administration Industrielle. It was one of the first publications that outlined the various aspects of a functioning business structure. He spoke about how to best to divide the function of business: creating a unity of command, hierarchy of authority, division of labor, and putting in place clear channels of communication. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 207) Another theory was developed by Max Weber. Max Weber wrote a book titled The Theory of Social and Economic Organizations. He shared many of the same theories as Henri Fayol. However, Max Weber was of the belief that less educated workers carried out tasks better if they were guided closely and given strict rules by middle management to be performed. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 208) Today many of those theories are still practiced. Businesses have to develop strategies allowing them to be nimble. If a business is slow to react to the market demands, they could be left behind. This is a costly proposition for companies looking to expand. Organizations seem to be moving toward a decentralized authority. This empowers the managers and employees to make decisions based upon their market needs quickly. A faster response time translates into improved customer relations and builds brand loyalty. This type of strategy is found in retail department store chains. On the other hand many fast food chains believe in the concept of centralized authority. All decisions on purchasing and promotion come from those in upper management. This allows companies such as McDonalds to keep their product consistent. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 210) It is unlikely that a drastic philosophical change within retail or fast food will take place anytime soon. There have been innovative changes within other market segments concerning team structuring and how to best respond to the demands of the consumer. For example, if a company wants to introduce a new product and bring it to market quickly they have the ability to pool their internal human resources. Simply put as bringing the best minds from all facets of the business and have them work on a specified project. This team is commonly known as a cross functional team. What is so unique about this team is that they are self-managed. They may also share different managers during the task. The engineer may work closely with the team on the design of the product. However, when it is time to distribute and brand the product the marketing manager may take over. They also work together on a long term basis fostering new opportunities. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 218) Working in teams can be great at moving an organization forward and carrying out task delivered by management. Teams can also seize opportunity by having the ability to quickly respond to a changing market such as technology. The biggest advantage of working in a team would have to be communication. Working as a team has far more advantages compared to its disadvantages. Some of the drawbacks would be the team having or developing a disconnection from the corporation’s core values or a feeling that they are their own entity. This occurs when areas are departmentalized from other functions of the business. Sometimes, if a common goal is not reinforced, it can cause some employees to become disengaged. If you have ever been part of a team where one of the members is negative and disengaged it can become infectious. At a minimum it becomes a distraction and disruptive to the team and its progress. (Nickels & McHugh, 2010, p. 212) At what point does leadership step in to take charge? What role, if any, does leadership play in business? III.Leadership Leadership is universal as the principles that define effective leadership are equitable worldwide. This is because leadership is mainly founded on principles that revolve around human relations. It usually requires one to be selfless. Individuals in leadership should always prioritize the needs of all the people who are under his command before his personal needs or interests. There are several styles that have resulted in effective leadership. These styles depend on the demands and requirements of the individuals involved and the tasks facing the institution. However, these styles have also been forced to evolve with the changes brought along by the 21st century. This section tackles the evolution of leadership taking into account various styles and use of varied examples in a bid to highlight and make the issue most comprehensible. Leadership styles revolve around three key points. The first includes the manner in which a leader gives guidelines or directions to his subordinates. Secondly, it is also determined by the method through which the leader implements his plans. Lastly, leadership style is also largely influenced by whether or not the leader motivates people to produce the desired results. Leadership styles are usually categorized into three different and unique styles when referring to individual leaders. One of the leadership styles that have been around for ages is the authoritarian or autocratic type of leadership. In this case, the leader gives the employees orders on what they want to be executed and the execution manner. An authoritarian leader usually is strict on the regulations and policies governing the employees of the company. An example of an authoritarian leader is a traffic police officer giving directions to motorists (Glanz, 2002). According to Glanz, a true leader is best characterized if he or she serves as a role model to others by promoting corporation between them. Moreover, one should also empower other individuals by giving praise where necessary or including them in the process of decision making. Lastly, a leader should communicate effectively to his employees on both his values and those that govern the organization. Another form of leadership style is democratic or participative type of leadership. In this case, the individual in the leadership position includes other people in decision making. Despite this, the leader is the one to make the final decision on the matters at hand. There is also a leadership style where the leader delegates the role of decision making to the employees while giving minimal or no guidance. This style is referred to as free-rein or delegative type of leadership. This style works well where the employees are competent, and the leader has confidence in them. Having any characteristics of these three leadership styles doesn’t mean you can’t enhance your role as a leader/manager with vision, value, and ethics. How does following these important guidelines improve your role as a leader? Leaders that impact businesses and employees on a daily basis know what they value. They also recognize the importance of utilizing their ethical behavior. The best leaders exhibit their values and ethics in their leadership style and actions. Defining your leadership ethics and values should be visible because you are living them in your actions every single day. A lack of trust can become a serious problem in many workplaces throughout the business world. If leaders never identified their values in these workplaces, the mistrust becomes understandable. If leaders have identified and shared their core values then living those values daily will create trust with everyone. Workplace ethics take the same route when the organization’s leadership has a code of conduct and ethical expectation; they become an organization joke if the leaders fail to live up to their published code of ethics. Leaders that exhibit ethical behavior powerfully influence the actions of others including the employees that will eventually make that leader successful. As a leader, choose the values and the ethics that are most important to you, the values and ethics you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day in the workplace. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you lead and influence other s. Just as in the business text of class; leaders must communicate a vision, establish their values, promote their corporate ethics, and embrace change, and stress accountability and responsibility among employees to become an effective leader in management. How could you improve your role as a leader/manager to become more effective? Managers are often seen as administrators and not leaders, depending on how we define leadership. The meaning of leadership is defined as promoting new direction either in people or organizations. It has nothing to do with being in a position of authority over others. What do we define as management? This is having responsibility for people and other resources with the goal of getting work done as efficiently and effectively as possible. The goal of the manager is to execute the directions promoted by the leader. Managers do not differ from leaders based on their personalities or styles as leaders are not just more lively, charismatic or larger than life managers. Any manager can lead by promoting new directions. Managers can be as inspiring as leaders even when they are wearing their managerial hat; hence, aiming to get work done efficiently, they try to inspire employees to improve performance rather than move them to change direction as leaders do. Both leaders and managers can influence quietly or by example without being charismatic. Any person can step into management, but the real question is how that individual is going to lead his people or team. Managers become successful only by understanding what it takes to be an effective leader to promote change with accountability. An individual can manage, but the true success of a powerful leader is the reflection of performance among its subordinates. An imposing leader knows how to manage as well as how to promote change effectively and positively from leading by example. Becoming an effective leader will eventually give an individual the success to reach his/her employees through positive influence and by achieving the high expectations handed down by the company objective. It is up to the individual leader on how he wants to manage his people in order to receive the best end-results. Taking all of these aspects into consideration, does someone in a leadership position have an obligation to motivate his or her employees, or is it up to the employee to realize his or her motivation? IV.Employee Motivation Many corporations today explore various strategies on how to improve production and motivate their staff to give one hundred percent toward the company’s goals. The most successful companies and organizations always seem to have extraordinarily strong leadership. There are many ways in which strong leadership can motivate the employees in an organization. Strong leadership can be used to energize a team in the workplace. A formidable leader should create a positive correlation between the workers and their employer. Moreover, the leader should be able to pool energy from each worker so as to improve performance and productivity as a team. Strong leaders have enormous reserves of spiritual, emotional and physical energy. The leader should be able to create a time for reflection of performance and also interpersonal evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of every employee. This is because the investment in employees helps to improve performance and also improve motivation (Adair, 1998). Powerful leadership in the workplace can help to motivate the employees through effective communication. Communication helps to influence employees to improve their performance. In addition, delegation of duties within an organization is carried through communication, and it is essential for employees to communicate their concerns in the workplace to avoid inconvenience. An influential leader is a person who listens to the grievances of the subordinates and provides possible solutions to improve the level of performance. Moreover, a prominent leader should also be empowered to solve problems and to suggest solutions for the problems affecting the employees in the workplace. This means the information from every employee should be handled with the respect it deserves, including a concentrated effort placed on improving interpersonal relations with their employees. This reduces conflicts and creates a platform for employees to act as a team (Advameg, 2012). One valuable method to motivate employees in the workplace is to mentor them and encourage them to grow and work as a team. This improves their partnerships and helps the organization to benefit in the long run. The fundamentals of motivation should be based on influencing the employees and helping them to achieve success. In essence, the leader should limit the regulations and set rules. Any change of an objective or rule should be communicated effectively to avoid frustrations which may be created by the confusion. It should also be understood that employees work effectively in an environment where there are reduced rules and regulations. The rules should be developed in such a manner that they enhance integration and cohesion within the workplace (Emmerich, 2009). Awarding the employees who have performed well in an organization is one of the ways which motivates them and improves their capability. The top leadership should ensure that there is the creation of incentive programs in which the best performing employees are awarded according to their performance in the workplace. The main purpose for creation of incentive programs is to show the employees that the organization values and cares about them. In addition, through the rewarding of performance employees are encouraged to continue to seek improvement in their job. The production of employees is prone to increase after they have been motivated using incentive programs Messmer, 1995). Incentive programs motivate performance through maximization of results. Outstanding performance over a period of time should be rewarded through promotion or through the provision of incentives. The incentives should be based on hard work and should vary from one employee to the other. This helps to improve competition and also to help motivate the weaker employees to increase their performance within the organization. The leadership has the obligation to create a program in which the top performers are rewarded according to their performance in the work place. Alternatively, the salaries and remuneration of the top performing employees should be increased to encourage them to work towards achievement of personal goals and objectives (Emmerich, 2009). Performance based on consistent meeting of the objectives should also be rewarded. Some form of compensation helps to encourage employees to invest their personal best into an organization. Employers who reward their subordinates on performance based on consistency have increased rates in meeting of personal goals and objectives. Rewarding the employees shows them that they are important, and increases their level of motivation, consequently leading to excellent performance. This also shows employees that they are highly valued and are significant assets to management. Furthermore, rewarding employees helps to retain them and increase their morale in the workplace. Employees should also receive unexpected rewards to express appreciation for all of their diligence on the job. This unanticipated compensation explicitly illustrates their importance in the organization (Messmer, 1995). One of the proven ways of motivating employees is the reduction of turnover in the workplace. Reducing turnover creates cohesion and trust among the employees. Reduction of turnover also helps to maximize potential through reduction of the costs of retaining valuable employees. When the numbers of employees are at an optimum level, the rate of performance increases. This means that hardworking and promising employees within an organization should be retained while the unproductive employees should be dismissed. Arguably, it is evident that employees who leave their employment have the reason of being unmotivated and unsatisfied. Good leadership would solve these problems while helping to improve performance in the long run. However, the individual who displays a sense of pride complimented with self-motivation is the most valued employee and a key contributor to the success of any organization. (Advameg, 2012). Operating a successful business is by no means any easy task. For lack of a better analogy, it’s like a well-oiled machine. All the pieces have to be working together and each piece doing its fair share of the work. If one were to go down, then the others have to pick up the slack for the malfunctioning section. In business, each position has to be working together to achieve successful financial as well as intangibly. If not, then a company could very well be on the path to failure.

Constitutional Law essays

Constitutional Law essays The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the privacy interest of citizens from unlawful governmental intrusion or unreasonable search and seizure by the government and accomplishes this by barring any evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendments protection from use at trial. THE FOURTH AMENDMENT to the U.S. Constitution reads: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, house, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Like other amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights, it was written and ratified to protect the citizenry against overweening government, but none of those amendments is self-enforcing. Much of the debate surrounding the enforcement of the Fourth Amendment has focused on the so-called exclusionary ruleon whether it is wise or constitutionally necessary. Under that rule, evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is ordinarily inadmissible in a criminal trial. A quick example will illustrate how the rule operates. If a policeman got a tip that a particular person was a drug dealer, the officer might launch an investigation to determine if the allegation was true. However, if he decided to break into the suspect's home without a search warrant, his effort would be for naught. Even if the officer found drugs on the kitchen table, that evidence would be useless because the suspect's attorney could demand that the trial judge bar its admission as being illegally obtained. Without that evidence, prosecutors would be unable to prove a crime had occurred. Conservatives often oppose the exclusionary rule as not grounded in the Constitution, not a deterrent to police misconduct, and not helpful in the search for truth in crimina...