Answer the Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer the Questions - Assignment Example In section 5, he suggests the date of the elections to be the same time as in 2003 (Taras & Waddell, 55). In addition, in 6, there is an introduction for the additional thoughts. In section 7, he gives hope to other Canadians who have cancer. In section 8, he thanks the members of his party for the support they accorded him and encouraged them not to be dissuaded by others. In 9, he talks of the fulfillment of national goals among other issues (Taras & Waddell, 59). In addition, in section 10, he thanks the members of the political class in parliament. He encourages them and acknowledges their working together. In 11, he thanks, Quebecers for making right decisions during elections. In 12, he encourages the young people and tells them to be always determined. In section 13, it is to all Canadians. He encourages them and tells them to make their decisions and not be swayed by anyone. In 14, he tells his friends to be loving and optimistic for them to change the world. Section 15 is the conclusion and with his name (Turk & Wahl, 80). The order of the topics and sections is in such a way that the previous topic leads to the next. In paragraph 2, parallel structure occurs when there is repletion of the word â€Å"my† in â€Å"my home†, â€Å"my spirit† and â€Å"my determination†. Climactic order has been achieved when arranging the words â€Å"notes†, â€Å"cards† and â€Å"gifts†. Parallel structure helps to achieve rhythm in the letter. In paragraph 7, an example of metaphor is â€Å"My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer†. An example of personification is, â€Å"To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The example of parallel structure is, â€Å"You have every reason to be optimistic, determined and focused†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Parallel structure also helps to achieve rhythm in the letter (Turk & Wahl,

An analysis of a critical incident related to the care of a patient of Assignment

An analysis of a critical incident related to the care of a patient of a higher dependency who is critically ill - Assignment Example Most of these deaths have been shown to be preventable (Douglas and Elward, 2011, p.68). According to (Sheldon, 2009, p.104), about 52% of people suffering from asthma have been found to underestimate the risk of them having an asthmatic attack. As a nurse, I was involved in the care of a critically ill patient diagnosed with infective exacerbation Asthma (Heffner, 1991, p. 67). The patient was a 60-year-old woman who presented with shortness of breath and chest pain. The patient’s name will not be used in this reflection for confidentiality reasons and instead, the patient will be referred to as Mrs. A. In the provision of nursing care, communication plays an important role and nurses are tasked with ensuring the utilization of effective skills in communication. Communication is an effective tool in the transmission of useful information to and from the patient (s). Communication has been shown to be effective in speeding up recovery by reducing the number of complications developing from disease, reducing stress, relieving pain and alleviating the fear that patients may have regarding their condition (Arnold and Boggs, 2003, p. 52). In a study, Carpenito (2009, p.90) identified three risk behaviors that can cause an individual to get an asthma attack; an asthmatic not using their preventive inhaler as prescribed, not having an asthma action plan and an individual not paying attention to their worsening condition. In adults, asthma is diagnosed through the recognition of the characteristic symptoms the patient presents with, the signs as observed by the healthcare practitioner together with the absence of an alternative diagnosis to rule out the condition (Baillie, 2005, p. 78). The practitioner is required to carefully take the patient’s clinical history. Mrs. A’s diagnosis was done using this criterion. She presented with chest pain accompanied by shortness of breath. Peak Expiratory Flow was used as an alternative test to determine

Pulp Fiction And Rashomon Film Studies Essay

Pulp Fiction And Rashomon Film Studies Essay When Pumpkin Tim Roth and Honey Bunny are have dinner in an motel, They make a decision to steal from it later than realize that they could build currency off not presently the company but the clientele as fine. As occur throughout their earlier heist. moment later than they begin the hitch, The scene break sour and the name credit spin. In this scene its like to be bore at first, But their decision of robbery of bank is, so different in the film, When they started to play a role in the film as robber suddenly the title breaks the screen with stylish music; it takes the audience to the great height in interest. The background and things which kept on the tables and the lady servant First of all it is a black and white movie, And also it is a non linear movie, The thing which exposed at the first scene is two people sitting calmly in the temple .which makes the audience to thing something append in their life. Their problem was exposed by the third character, Because of the third character their problem was explained to the audience, In Pulp Fiction John Travolta and uma turman were went to the club and they participate in the Dance combination is not a matter but their stylish dance surely makes the audience Enjoy. When uma turman become unconscious, John Travolta inject the injection on her chest it one of the scare scene. Because this scene makes the audience that They are feeling them as uma turman and when john is forcing his hand to inject the injection they are so much involved in this scene, In pulp fiction each and every minute sequence was shown clearly by the director. For ex: When Vincent( john Travolta) was going in his car to see uma turman for taking her to club, When he driving a car to her house on the way in the car he inject himself a drug ,thats not a matter but the director shows mixing of the drug with blood in the Injection is makes the audience to feel them as john Travolta, In Rashomon the things which I saw is the feelings of expression are include in the acting, But I not going to say pulp fiction is bad, The expressions of acting is more in Rashomon, That is more than pulp fiction, And also in Rashomon the editing is not looks like a olden days editing style its looks like a now a days film editing style. In some place in the film the director made some intelligent scene in Rashomon that is. The Rapist character make some intelligent thing to get his wife, but no one can able to imagine that the Rapist makes the women husband to follow him in the forest and he tied the women husband, and the rapist tell to the women that your husband was bitten by a snake, he makes the women to follow him when they reach the place then only audience can able to know that the rapist made some story to fool too of them. The sound track gives some more emotion to the scene, Which it helps to make the audience to involve in the film, And also the it explains the relationship of husband and wife, When the husband refused to believe his wife, The expressions shows to the wife that he is not believing, so that she also refused to understand his husband because of her angry. In that scene the conversation between husband and wife is mostly explained in expressions. But in pulp fiction conversation are explained in dialogue, but delivery of dialogue is so Much different in pulp fiction, As comparison of these movies both the movies are very nice movies according to their style, We cant able to find false in them. The characters in the both movies are so much Different and the way of their acting are original. Both the directors are don their correct Job. As an audience both the movies are goodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. At first, when the film is started. A meaning of the word pulp fiction is shown in the screen, As according to the dictionary format (American heritage dictionary, New collage Edition) like that. And then pumpkin and homey bunny two of them sitting inside the hotel and talking about their life. In this scene its like to be bore at first, But their decision of robbery of bank is, so different in the film, When they started to play a role in the film as robber suddenly the title breaks the screen with stylish music; it takes the audience to the great height in interest. As Samuel L. Jackeson and the John Travoleta when they entering into the room their body language and their dialogue delivery and the continues shot of walking two of them is wonderful. John Travolta and uma turman were went to the club and they participate in the Dance combination is not a matter but their stylish dance surely makes the audience Enjoy. When uma turman become unconscious, John Travolta inject the injection on her chest it one of the scare scene. Because this scene makes the audience that They are feeling them as uma turman and when john is forcing his hand to inject the injection they are so much involved in this scene, The dialogue of the officer when he gave the watch to the small boy, about the watch Which his friend gave before he keep the watch in his ass, Is wonderful comedy Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta was shoot by one guy the explanation About the miss target of the gun shot of Samuel L. Jackson was wonderful The director makes this non linear movie well and handle it well. In this film the director gives equal importance to the all the characters in the movie. Finally this movie is one of the interesting movie which I seen before in the past à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦

Dramatic Monologue Essay -- Essays Papers

Dramatic Monologue When discussing the poetic form of dramatic monologue it is rare that it is not associated with and its usage attributed to the poet Robert Browning. Robert Browning has been considered the master of the dramatic monologue. Although some critics are skeptical of his invention of the form, for dramatic monologue is evidenced in poetry preceding Browning, it is believed that his extensive and varied use of the dramatic monologue has significantly contributed to the form and has had an enormous impact on modern poetry. "The dramatic monologues of Robert Browning represent the most significant use of the form in postromantic poetry" (Preminger and Brogan 799). The dramatic monologue as we understand it today "is a lyric poem in which the speaker addresses a silent listener, revealing himself in the context of a dramatic situation" (Murfin 97). "The character is speaking to an identifiable but silent listener at a dramatic moment in the speaker's life. The circumstances surrounding the co nversation, one side which we "hear" as the dramatic monologue, are made by clear implication, and an insight into the character of the speaker may result" (Holman and Harmon 152). Although Browning wrote numerous dramatic monologues his contemporaries often criticized his works as being too emotional. The dramatic monologues of Browning are characterized by certain identifiable traits. The three requirements of a Browning dramatic monologue are "The reader takes the part of the silent listener; The speaker uses a case-making argumentative tone; We complete the dramatic scene from within, by means of inference and imagination" (Landow). Critics have interpreted the third requirement, the reader's interpretation and conclusions... ...tical Views. Ed. Harold Bloom, N.Y.: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. 23-44. Murfin, Roy and Supryia M. Ray, eds. The Bedford Glossary of Critical Literary Terms. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1998. O’Neill, Patricia. Robert Browning and Twentieth-Century Criticism. Columbia, SC: Camden House, 1995. Preminger, Alex and T.V. Brogan eds. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Princeton: PUP, 1993. Shaviro, Steven. "Browning upon Caliban upon Setebos." Browning Society Notes 12 (1983). Rpt. in Robert Browning: Modern Critical Views. Ed. Harold Bloom, N.Y.: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. 139-150. Wagner-Lawlor, Jennifer. "The Pragmatics of Silence, and the Figuration of the Reader in Browning's Dramatic Monologues." Victorian Poetry 35.3 (Fall 1997) : 287-302. Woolford, John. Browning the Revisionary. N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1988.

The Factors Affecting Insomia

Surveys in industrialized western countries found that in any one year, about one-third of the adult population say they have some degree of Insomnia. 34 doctors said that about 12% of their patients complain of sleep disturbance (Lack and Thorn 1991). They also sound that 33% of adults reported difficulty sleeping, and 11% said they has problems sleeping at least frequently. Other research indicates that 75% of people with chronic insomnia who seek treatment at clinics or are poor sleepers blame the sleep problems on stressful life events ( Kales, 1984). Even though the information from Kales seems like a high estimate, it appears likely that chronic insomnia often develops from emotionally transient or short-term insomnia. Insomnia can be looked at as total lack of sleep but others say it†s a sleep disorder. Allen (1991) believes that insomnia is not a disorder but a symptom or a group of symptoms. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, frequently and prolonged gross physical or psychological pathology. This is said to be one of the most common sleep disturbances. Insomnia is the opposite form of sleep disturbance and it may be an associated with a variety of pathological conditions. There are different kinds of insomnia: 1) Transient insomnia which is a sleep complaint that has been present for only a few nights, 2) Short-term insomnia a condition that last for six or eight weeks; and 3) Chronic insomnia which are symptoms that have been occurring for years. (Mant & Bearpark, 1990) Some drugs and behaviors can result in or worsen sleep problems, such as drinking caffeine-containing beverages, smoking and alcohol intake before going to bed. Varying bedtimes from night to night and changing work shifts are other lifestyle factors that can undermine sleep quality (Searle, 1998). Environmental factors such as noise from passing traffic, airplanes, neighbors stereo blasting aloud, too much light in a room and extreme temperature can disturb sleep. This disorder or just lack of sleep can be look at as some sort of Insomnia. Insomnia often present as one or more of the following: difficulty in getting to sleep, general sleep disturbance, and early morning awakening. Sleep in this case may not be shortened, but disrupted. However, if this becomes severe such disruption causes excessive daytime sleepiness (Horne, 1988). Coats and Thoresen (1984) designed a study to find out whether daytime thoughts and behavior are associated with good and poor sleep. The subjects in the study were two teachers with heavy daytime stress and insomnia. The goal of the study was to determine whether day or night sleeping brings about more cases of insomnia. They found a correlation between the amount of the subject†s actual sleep and mood the next day. This consisted of recordings for the subjects sleeping at nights, including individuals who to paid close attention to the subject†s teaching during that time, and a breakdown of subject†s thoughts and feelings as recorded on the tapes. In the results, the researchers found a connection between the daily actions (mood, stress-related behaviors and negative statements) and actual sleep relating to the complaint of lack of sleep (Coates & Thorensen, 1984). Behavioral assessments can be a good way of treating insomniacs has shown in the previous study. Friedman, Bootzin, Hazelwood, and Tsao (1992) conducted a study to observe whether behavioral treatments can work for older adults with insomnia. The age group of these participants ranged from 46 to 76. They included experimental conditions for support and sleep hygiene, stimulus control and a control group. The results of the study reveal that all groups were capable of improving assessed awakenings, naptime, and a feeling of euphoria after waking up. The subjects at week 3 felt less depressed and slept better. Even after a 2year follow up, researchers also found that the stimulus control subjects kept on using the treatment and had a good sleep habit and sleep quality. Therefore, the researchers concluded that behavioral treatments would be effective in improving sleep among older adults with insomnia. Other considerations of treatment such as drug treatment, physical exercise, sleep environment and diet. In drug treatment, drugs that enhance sensory flow and activation (antidepressants and Ritalin) are only good for short-term use ( Baekenland , 1970). Physical exercise can help to increase sensory flow and activation for the efficient onset and maintenance of sleep. A good sleep environment such as going to bed with the television, radio, fan or light is often helpful because it can enhance sensory flow and accompany anxiety that comes with lack of sleep. In diet, a high protein (fat) low carbohydrate diet would benefit sleep because it helps to keep blood sugar falling to the low levels that trigger adrenegic alerting reactions. It also increases NE, an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and depresses brain seratonin an inhibitory neurotransmitter ( Schildkruat, 1967).

The Engineer and His Education

The Engineer and His Education â€Å"The term civil engineering describes engineering work performed by civilians for non-military purposes. In general it describes the profession of designing and executing structural works for the general public and the communal environment. Civil engineering covers different areas of engineering, including the design and construction of large buildings, roads, bridges, canals, railway lines, airports, water-supply systems, dams, irrigation, harbour, docks, aqueducts, and tunnels. â€Å"The civil engineer needs a thorough knowledge of surveying, of the properties and mechanics of construction materials, of the mechanics of structures and soils, and of hydraulics and fluid mechanics. Today civil engineering includes the production and distribution of energy, the development of aircrafts and airports, the construction of chemical process plants and nuclear power stations, and water desalination. Brieger, N. & Pohl, A. Technical English Vocabulary an d Grammar. Oxford: Summertown, 2002. p. 44 Civil engineering’s scope is so broad and given with the definition above denotes a wide variety of functions of a civil engineer. The functions of an engineer are to design, to construct, to advise, to operate, to investigate, and to supervise. It is his responsibility to make a plan a reality.An engineer must develop ideas that will produce an effective design; he must know and implement right construction methods and manners; he must advise his employer as to the feasibility of the proposed project, the cost which will be entailed, and the results which will be accomplished; he must investigate conditions and provide solutions to meet the needs in case problems are observed; he must supervise and make sure that the work is done according to the plan; and he must see to it that the works which have been created from his plan and under his supervision will properly perform its intended purpose.In order for an engineer to perform suc h functions, it is important for him to have skills in critical thinking, complex problem solving, operation analysis, and judgment and decision making. He must use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; he must identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions; he must be able to analyze needs and product requirements to create a design; and he should consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.Thus, a civil engineer ought to have knowledge in mathematics to solve mathematical problems; knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology and this includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and service; knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precisio n technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models; knowledge of building and construction specifically of the materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads; and the last but the least is the knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. It is a common notion that engineers do not need so much of English language but it should also be considered that success in engineering depends as much upon the ability to present an idea convincingly as it does upon the ability to perform calculations or experiments.You may perform the most miraculous experiment in the laboratory, yet you have not contributed anything to the advancement of knowledge until you have shared your results to others. It is by means of speech and writing that the discoveries made in the laboratories are made useful. Engineering w ork is not finished until the results are clearly recorded and presented to others. The everyday use of English by the engineers is to write technical reports on his work for presentation to other engineers or to the management. These reports must present the results of his investigation in an accurate and orderly manner to those immediately interested in the work, and also to acquaint executives with the progress being made on the subject. In a larger ense, the engineer has an opportunity to use English in furthering the general understanding of the economic forces at work in our civilization. It is the job of the engineer, who has the technical background, to interpret the technical facts upon which modern civilization is based into language which everyone can understand. The engineer who learns to master English and use it in these two important ways will do most to advance his chosen profession. He will be able to present his own investigations to his fellow engineers. More impo rtant still, he will be able to gain the understanding of our people who are interested in technical subjects, yet need them explained in simple language.The civil engineer has the challenge to satisfy the vital needs of the society as a global player who is able to design, build, manage and maintain complex infrastructure projects with a global approach, taking into account socio-economical and environmental interactions. He is a generalist with high competences in various fields such as structures, hydraulic schemes and energy, geotechnics and tunnelling, transportation infrastructures and systems, language and management, legal and economical aspects as well as environmental issues. Civil engineers work in multidisciplinary and very often multicultural teams. They are challenged to create the necessary infrastructures for the prosperity of the economy, hence guaranteeing the whole population an adequate standard of life. The Engineer and His Education The Engineer and His Education â€Å"The term civil engineering describes engineering work performed by civilians for non-military purposes. In general it describes the profession of designing and executing structural works for the general public and the communal environment. Civil engineering covers different areas of engineering, including the design and construction of large buildings, roads, bridges, canals, railway lines, airports, water-supply systems, dams, irrigation, harbour, docks, aqueducts, and tunnels. â€Å"The civil engineer needs a thorough knowledge of surveying, of the properties and mechanics of construction materials, of the mechanics of structures and soils, and of hydraulics and fluid mechanics. Today civil engineering includes the production and distribution of energy, the development of aircrafts and airports, the construction of chemical process plants and nuclear power stations, and water desalination. Brieger, N. & Pohl, A. Technical English Vocabulary an d Grammar. Oxford: Summertown, 2002. p. 44 Civil engineering’s scope is so broad and given with the definition above denotes a wide variety of functions of a civil engineer. The functions of an engineer are to design, to construct, to advise, to operate, to investigate, and to supervise. It is his responsibility to make a plan a reality.An engineer must develop ideas that will produce an effective design; he must know and implement right construction methods and manners; he must advise his employer as to the feasibility of the proposed project, the cost which will be entailed, and the results which will be accomplished; he must investigate conditions and provide solutions to meet the needs in case problems are observed; he must supervise and make sure that the work is done according to the plan; and he must see to it that the works which have been created from his plan and under his supervision will properly perform its intended purpose.In order for an engineer to perform suc h functions, it is important for him to have skills in critical thinking, complex problem solving, operation analysis, and judgment and decision making. He must use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems; he must identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions; he must be able to analyze needs and product requirements to create a design; and he should consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.Thus, a civil engineer ought to have knowledge in mathematics to solve mathematical problems; knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology and this includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and service; knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precisio n technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models; knowledge of building and construction specifically of the materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads; and the last but the least is the knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. It is a common notion that engineers do not need so much of English language but it should also be considered that success in engineering depends as much upon the ability to present an idea convincingly as it does upon the ability to perform calculations or experiments.You may perform the most miraculous experiment in the laboratory, yet you have not contributed anything to the advancement of knowledge until you have shared your results to others. It is by means of speech and writing that the discoveries made in the laboratories are made useful. Engineering w ork is not finished until the results are clearly recorded and presented to others. The everyday use of English by the engineers is to write technical reports on his work for presentation to other engineers or to the management. These reports must present the results of his investigation in an accurate and orderly manner to those immediately interested in the work, and also to acquaint executives with the progress being made on the subject. In a larger ense, the engineer has an opportunity to use English in furthering the general understanding of the economic forces at work in our civilization. It is the job of the engineer, who has the technical background, to interpret the technical facts upon which modern civilization is based into language which everyone can understand. The engineer who learns to master English and use it in these two important ways will do most to advance his chosen profession. He will be able to present his own investigations to his fellow engineers. More impo rtant still, he will be able to gain the understanding of our people who are interested in technical subjects, yet need them explained in simple language.The civil engineer has the challenge to satisfy the vital needs of the society as a global player who is able to design, build, manage and maintain complex infrastructure projects with a global approach, taking into account socio-economical and environmental interactions. He is a generalist with high competences in various fields such as structures, hydraulic schemes and energy, geotechnics and tunnelling, transportation infrastructures and systems, language and management, legal and economical aspects as well as environmental issues. Civil engineers work in multidisciplinary and very often multicultural teams. They are challenged to create the necessary infrastructures for the prosperity of the economy, hence guaranteeing the whole population an adequate standard of life.

Images Of Vietnam essays

Images Of Vietnam essays The United States of America prides itself as the self proclaimed leader of the free world. Since the end of World War II the United States has chosen to use force in order to insure this so called freedom of other less fortunate nations who do not have the ability to defend themselves. According to the United States these infieor nations freedom, has been in jeopardy since the beging of the cold war. Websters dictionary defines a democracy as a government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. Since the start of the cold war, the United States has undertaken the policy that if you are not a democracy than you are not truly free. *~The government wants use to think that a democracy is pure and good where as a communist society is corrupt and harmful. The fact remains both a forms governments to control the inhabitants and to lead them so that thei r life might become better.~* The United States gives its citizens the right to periodicly elect their leaders. When the United States entered Vietnam after the French lost the war in 1954, why did it feel, it was necessary to choose to fight the Ho Chi Men lead communists, without even allowing the Vietnamese people a chance to elect their own leader under a free parlimentory electoral system. The Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968 Robert McNamara saw the Vietnam conflict escalate from 100 American advisors in 1961 to over 275,000 troops during the time of his departure. Vietnam was caught in a revolution, not unlike the civil war, split in two, north versus south. The battle lines where drawn, the 17th parellel the boundry, the communist state split to the north and a democratic state to the south. However, Southeast Asia was considored one of the most sensitive places at this time durning the cold war. Therfore...

Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essays

Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essays Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Mood Disorders in The Yellow Wallpaper Essay Essay Topic: The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper is about a husband trying to help his wife deal with her emotional disorder† as best as he can. The novel allows the reader to witness woman being driven to madness by a Victorian rest cure, a once frequently prescribed period of inactivity thought to cure female hysteria, depression, nervousness and anxiety. In the period of which this specific piece of literature was written, women had minimal rights, even concerning their mental status and rights. There were instances where not having a menstrual cycle was considered abnormal and a symptom of insanity. Symptoms such as depression after the death of a loved one, use of foul language were also reasons a woman would be admitted. Haney-Peritz, Janice. â€Å"Monumental Feminism and Literature’s Ancestral House: Another Look at ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.† Short Story Criticism 62. (2003): 95-107. Literature Resource Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. (hysteria) As she remains in the room, she begins to slip into depressive psychosis. She begins to see a woman trapped in the yellow wallpaper. The story concludes with the woman circling the room, now completely immersed in her mental illness, removing the wallpaper and stepping over her unconscious husband who had fainted at the realization of his wifes mental state. The feminism literary views show how the piece suggests patriarchal ideology and how it proves itself in 19th-century marriage and medical practice. The wallpaper itself is a metaphor whereas the nameless wife is herself trapped just like the woman she sees in the wallpaper. She could be seeing herself in the wallpaper and tries to free herself by ripping the wallpaper off the walls. She is trapped behind her husband, with no rights and no say she is essentially a Guinea pig for him. The woman inside the wallpaper represents the pervasive and inescapable injustice, much like the rules the wife hides behind. The wife in the story is the embodiment of struggle

Word Choice Rout vs. Route - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

Word Choice Rout vs. Route - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog Word Choice: Rout vs. Route Ah, the English language, will you ever stop confusing us? Why, for instance, would anyone think it’s a good idea to have two words which differ in meaning and sound different, but which are spelled almost identically? It beats us, yet that’s what we have with â€Å"rout† and â€Å"route.† It’s easy to get these words mixed up, especially because â€Å"rout† is not common in everyday speech. So, what is the difference? And which word should we use in any given instance? Rout (Lose Badly) The word â€Å"rout† is commonly associated with battles, as it means â€Å"a disorderly retreat.† Thus, if an army is defeated and forced to run, we say it was â€Å"routed† (â€Å"rout† can be used as either a noun or a verb): During World War II, the French Army was routed at the Battle of Sedan. A more modern use of â€Å"rout† is to mean â€Å"an overwhelming defeat†: In 1990, the 49ers routed the Broncos 55-10 in the Super Bowl. To the best of our knowledge, however, sporting routs rarely end in the losing team making a disorderly retreat from the field of play. Route (Go Places) If nothing else, you’ll probably know the word â€Å"route† from the US Highway System. This, in fact, is a big clue to the main meaning of â€Å"route,† which is â€Å"a road or passage of travel†: If you ever plan to motor west Travel my way, take the highway that is best Get your kicks on Route Sixty-Six As well as major travel routes, the word â€Å"route† is used for any regular round of stops, such as a â€Å"paper route.† Furthermore, â€Å"route† can be used as a verb meaning â€Å"direct something†: Because of the accident, traffic was routed away from the town center. In both cases, the essence of â€Å"route† is always to do with traveling or following a particular course. Rout or Route? In everyday life, you’re more likely to need â€Å"route† than â€Å"rout.† But if you’re discussing a battle or an overwhelming defeat in sport, you might need to use â€Å"rout.† Remember: Rout = An overwhelming defeat and/or disorderly retreat Route = A road or regular passage of travel Be careful when using the past tense with these words, though, as both are spelled routed.

Followership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Followership - Research Paper Example They eagerly take up extra work but at first they perform an extraordinary work in their core responsibilities. They prove themselves to be good judges of their own powers and flaws and are able to contribute well to the team (Johnson, 2009). If they know that they can succeed well they don’t mind coming across failures. They keep on searching for problems that remained unnoticed. They tend to see their coworkers as colleagues instead of thinking them to be entrants. An effective follower must possess certain qualities such as; they are capable of managing themselves well, they tend to be courageous, innovative and honest and dedicated towards organization (Kupers, 2007). Self management is another ability of an effective follower – the ability to work efficiently without being under any supervision. Good followers are those people to whom the leaders can entrust responsibilities. Good followers possess quality to see themselves as equals of the leaders they follow. They are liable to disagree unapologetically with leadership and are not likely to be overawed by the organizational structure. Ineffective followers on the other hand are prepared to obey others unquestioningly, dither between distresses over their powerlessness and make an attempt to juggle leaders to fulfill their own purposes (Yung, 2013). Their fear of powerlessness becomes a self fulfilling prognosis for the individual as well as the work group. Or their hostility drags them to undermine the goals of an organization. A significant cost advantage is received by an organization where there exists a self managed manager. There is a major role of followers towards organizational prosperity. Followers are believed to be furnished with complex thinking and innovative skills which if contributed to an organization can drive it towards success. People initiate in an organization as a follower. Followers tend to process good ideas and vision which they need to sell to

The Broadband market in Italy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Broadband market in Italy - Research Paper Example In the third quarter of 2008 the broadband market subscribers was approximately 18 percent of the population. Italy has consistently been ranked as one of the countries with the lowest broadband penetration in Europe, the country lacked cable and DSL infrastructure and therefore market penetration was considerably low. The entry of other firms in the industry led into an increase in penetration and in 2005 Italy recorded the highest growth of broadband in Europe. Population growth rates in Italy have been decreasing over the last several years with current rates near zero. Major cities are densely populated and most of the population lives in flats and blocks that make FTTH and DSL more appropriate to provide broadband services. Vigevano(2002) pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more s ophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. ... pointed out that there were some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy and they included digital divide and lack of competition, this means that in rural area, broadband services were less profitable and therefore majority of the providers concentrated more in urban area. Government has not typically concerned itself with encouraging more sophisticated use of the internet such as online transactions, and focus on European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL) provided to teachers, government employees, students this leads to increasing the awareness and skills of individuals. Vigevano(2002) points out that there are some barriers to the penetration of broadband in Italy, some of the factors that he highlighted include lack of capital to improve infrastructure, this hinders the growth of broadband in Italy. He also pointed out that there are regulatory issues that pose uncertainty regarding rights; another problem is digital divide whereby there is high adoption of broadband in certain area and in others low adoption and therefore firms concentrate only in large cities. According to House (2001) the shape of the S curve depends on the time period and saturation level and that the saturation level is less than 100%, he also states that saturation is driven by both the supply side and demand side, saturation level depends on the appropriateness of the technology and Economies of scale reducing prices increasing level of acceptance to peak. Estimated Level of Saturation The chart below summarises Penetration rate of Broadband in Italy from 2001-2008 Diagram 1: From the chart it is evident that broadband users(households and business) per 100 individuals has gradually increased over the years, it is also evident that in 2001 to 2002 is the introduction

Business decision making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business decision making - Essay Example Within the five year period, the number of elite clients has risen from 453 in 2006 to 1124 in 2010. However, there was a sharp in the number of this category of clients in 2007, with the bank recording only 411 Elite clients (Institute of Business and Management, 2012). Additionally, the report shows that the number of Preferred clients has grown by approximately 30 per cent, rising from 3148 in 2006 to 3809 in 2010 (Institute of Business and Management, 2012). This rise has been steady except for the year 2008, which experienced a sharp fall in this category of clients (3148), as compared to the previous year’s 3551. The same trend has occurred in the amount of deposit, where the maximum deposit for the regular clients was 690,354,000 in 2010 (Institute of Business and Management, 2012). The success of the bank has not been on a regular trend though. There has been a mix between the years of success and the drops in terms of deposits. Rating success and failures in terms of income, the final year 2010 indicated success for all the three classes of clients except for a drop in 2007. The remaining years have shown an indicator to financial growth in income, considering that it has been a continuous trend of progressive increase from 2008 to 2010. Comparing each class for every year, regular clients outnumber the rest of the classes, followed by the preferred class and finally the elite class. Perhaps owing to that, the amount of deposit for the regular clients has been the greatest followed by the preferred class and eventually the elites. 1.2. Data Analysis and Summary The table below shows the analysis of the data for all the clients of the bank DM. It shows the average and the mean for all the five years. However, the function for computing modes did not function because none of the values appeared more than once. Table 1: Data Analysis table for the bank DM for performance from 2006 to 2010 (i). From the analysis, it appears that the regular clients are more on average than all other clients, followed by the preferred clients then the elite clients. The deposit balance for the regular clients is also higher than for the categories of clients, followed by the preferred clients then the elite clients in the third rank. The same result is observed for the service income, where the regular clients lead followed by the preferred and finally the elite clients. From this analysis, the most advisable decision Bank DM executive committee can make is to develop marketing strategies for the other two client categories. The strategies can begin from analyzing customer needs concerning the preferred and the client elite accounts. After the analysis, there are two optional actions that the bank can consider. First, there should be a more structured sales promotions program for increasing the performance level of the less performing accounts. The customer satisfaction level can enable the executive committee to improve the qualities of the ac counts. If the sales promotions do not yield the expected outcomes, the next option is to eliminate the accounts from bank and develop a better account product for the preferred and the elite customers. (ii). The second analysis uses measures of dispersion such as variance and standard deviation of the distributions of the numbers for the three banks for all the five years. The measures of dispersion appear in the table below Account Type Number of Accounts Deposit

Management and Business1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management and Business1 - Essay Example The company’s offices will be established at Canada in the first year of operation to reduce costs. The founder, who is a professional engineer, has 18 years of responsible and progressive experience (Alleny 130). The company has notified major clients to be major construction companies, real estate companies, local and state governments, and water companies. We believe by focusing on these institutions, which have special needs. We will be capable of bettering our service to clients and producing a superior service that is more efficient and effective than other structural firms (Pinson 70). Our mission is to provide structural engineering services to clients across the United Kingdom. The engineering services to offer will be for all types of buildings, ranging from concept planning to completion. The company will use highly skilled and professional team working together, using practical experience and common sense to undertake its projects. The StructureAll Limited will provide innovative approaches to structural engineering services and it will build a long-term relationship with the company’s clients, delivering excellent services in time and in cost-effective manner (Alleny 130). StructureAll limited will offer complete civil and structural engineering services. The company will put most focus on the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.The company will deal with projects, which will involve renovations, rehabilitation, additions, and new construction. The company offers economical and innovative design services while maintaining the state-of-the-art design technology. In addition, structureAll offers cost effective and good quality services in engineering design, project management and construction and construction management (Flyvbjerg, Holm, and Buhl 131). Start-up expenses will allow for initial legal

Textual analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Textual analysis - Essay Example In this essay, description is an important technique to introduce and characterize main characters and settings. It helps readers imagine how these people look and where these incidences happened. The young lady was scared of Staples, not only because Staples is a â€Å"youngish black man†, but also because his clothes and his behavior made him look like â€Å"a mugger† or â€Å"a rapist†. Brent Staples described himself as â€Å"the youngish black man—a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pocket of a bulky military jacket â€Å"(40) in his early twenties. He uses â€Å"broad†, â€Å"billowing† and â€Å"bulky† to make people see him as big and imposing. Staples also uses the word â€Å"shove† over the word â€Å"put†, which suggests violence and makes Staples appear more powerful. In this way, Staples successfully describes how he seems scary to other people. After Staples â€Å"felt [sadness] at so often being taken for a criminal† (42), he was forced to pay attention to his clothes and his behavior. Brent Staples says, â€Å"I give a wide berth to nervous people on subway platforms during the wee hours, particularly when I have exchange business clothes for jeans. If I happen to be entering a building behind some people who appear skittish, I may walk by, letting them clear the lobby before I return, so as not to seem to be following them† (42). Staples describes several sceneries that commonly happen in people’s daily lives. He puts readers into the platforms and buildings as if they are watching as things happen. In the last paragraph of the essay, Staples says, â€Å"I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers. Even steely New Yorkers hunching toward nighttime destinations seem to relax, and occasionally they even join in the tune† (42). In this description, Stap les puts readers onto the street where strangers whistle melodies to greet each other.

What drives facial diversity in primates (Central Hypothesis is Social Research Paper

What drives facial diversity in primates (Central Hypothesis is Social factors are more important in driving primate facial diversity.) - Research Paper Example Many researchers have resolved that social factors have the prevalent contribution in the emergence of primate facial diversity. Facial characteristics of primates are complex structures that are designed to fulfill several purposes. Primate face is made up of various phenotypes as it integrates various parts such as eyes, ears, nose, hair and patches of skin. All these organs differ in their traits and functions. These parts have different location, origin, colour, size and shape (Cartmill and Smith, 2009). The nature and shape of the elements in a primate face is to a great extent determined by social factors. In many social animals, facial traits offer an adequate source of information that is significant in social interaction. The face is used to express signs regarding primate behaviours, condition and identity. Given the role of face in social interaction, it is sensible to assume that social factors have a crucial contribution in enhancing facial diversity in primates. Facial diversity in primates is explained by the differences in characteristics, shape, colour and size expressed by different primate in the world. According to biologists, facial diversity among primates is highly contributed to by emerging social factors (Bradley & Lawler, 2011). The essay below will present some of the important social factors in driving primate facial diversity. In this essay, the author will provide evidence on the contribution of both social and ecological factors in directing diversity in primates. The table above illustrates the nature of social interaction among different primates in the world. It shows the social status of different players in their social settings. From the table, it is clear that the social responsibility among male and female primates varies from one primate to another. According to the table, facial diversity is highly influenced by social setting which primates engage in. Many primates spend

Textual analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Textual analysis - Essay Example In this essay, description is an important technique to introduce and characterize main characters and settings. It helps readers imagine how these people look and where these incidences happened. The young lady was scared of Staples, not only because Staples is a â€Å"youngish black man†, but also because his clothes and his behavior made him look like â€Å"a mugger† or â€Å"a rapist†. Brent Staples described himself as â€Å"the youngish black man—a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pocket of a bulky military jacket â€Å"(40) in his early twenties. He uses â€Å"broad†, â€Å"billowing† and â€Å"bulky† to make people see him as big and imposing. Staples also uses the word â€Å"shove† over the word â€Å"put†, which suggests violence and makes Staples appear more powerful. In this way, Staples successfully describes how he seems scary to other people. After Staples â€Å"felt [sadness] at so often being taken for a criminal† (42), he was forced to pay attention to his clothes and his behavior. Brent Staples says, â€Å"I give a wide berth to nervous people on subway platforms during the wee hours, particularly when I have exchange business clothes for jeans. If I happen to be entering a building behind some people who appear skittish, I may walk by, letting them clear the lobby before I return, so as not to seem to be following them† (42). Staples describes several sceneries that commonly happen in people’s daily lives. He puts readers into the platforms and buildings as if they are watching as things happen. In the last paragraph of the essay, Staples says, â€Å"I whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi and the more popular classical composers. Even steely New Yorkers hunching toward nighttime destinations seem to relax, and occasionally they even join in the tune† (42). In this description, Stap les puts readers onto the street where strangers whistle melodies to greet each other.

American films Essay Example for Free

American films Essay be at work making sure he works his ass off to get us where we are now. Although I don’t see him most of the time during my childhood, and he missed almost every one of my birthday’s I can never be mad at him for it. Something I most admire my father for is the fact he gave up his family and life he had back in the islands to support his daughter and pregnant wife, which changed all our lives. As soon as he joined the military he flew us 2 kids and my mother out to America to see our new house in Hawaii. The day we all came to America was the day we left behind the poverty and worries back in Samoa. Since that day, I have always respected my father. Even though I sometimes abhor is actions towards discipline, I constantly think back to the days we had it rough and who it was that became our hero from there on out. Without his decisions on coming to America and toward his responsibilities, I wouldn’t have had hope in finding a future for myself back in the islands. Because of my father’s life changing choices, I am living a life of a lifetime; a humble lifestyle.

Understanding tourism behavior

Understanding tourism behavior Introduction Understanding tourism behavior involves knowledge of factors that are by no means obvious because the influences that shape tourism tastes and activities are often so deeply embedded in the individuals personal and cultural biography that the subject is unaware of how they were formed. (Seaton, 1996) This statement sets part of scene of this study and it was a starting point for the final topic to be shaped. Tourism behaviour has been studied thoroughly and many conclusions have been reached regarding the main factors that have an impact on tourists decision-making. Decision-making about destinations is a quite risk process because of the fact that in this kind of purchase the buyers (potential tourists) cannot see the product before they purchase it. According to most consumer behaviour books, consumer behaviour is a function of two basic factors: a.) Social influences, b.) Personal traits. Social influences include culture and subculture, social class, reference groups and influentials, role and family influence, while personal traits involve personality, learning, motivation, perception and attitudes. Since, as mentioned above, the tourism products are intangible and cannot be observed from the potential tourist before they purchase them, prior communication offers them the information that they need and creates images, according to which they take decisions. More specifically, regarding the information in the tourism decision-making, as Seaton (1996) suggests they can be divided into four main categories: a.) Commercially provided information, b.) Non-commercially provided information, c.) Personally provided information, d.) Impersonally provided (media) sources. The last category involves travel programmes, newspaper travel pages, guide books e.t.c. However, thorough personal research and study in all these categories of influences showed that the impact of television on tourism decision-making has actually not been significantly studied before. Given the importance that the media have in our lives, their power and the fact that nowadays all people have access to them, and specially with television, it was quite impressive to observe that the study of this influence is very narrow. Thus the rationale of the narrow focus on the television was that it would be of some value to research the influence of television travel and tourism programmes about destinations on tourists decision-making about destinations. With these in mind, the aim and objectives of the research are: Aim: To evaluate the influence of television travel programmes on potential tourists on choosing a tourism destination. Objectives: To measure if and how much is the influence of travel programmes about decisions on tourist destinations on consumer To check if travel programmes are perceived as an informative tool or just entertainment To analyse the way that consumers perceive what they are seeing on these travelling programmes. According to Malhotra and Birks (2006) the formulation of the marketing objectives can encompass two areas: organizational objectives and personal objectives of the decision-maker. For a research project be successful, it must serve the objectives of the organization and of the decision-maker. With these objectives it will be possible to understand if the Television tourism programmes really exerts influence on the consumers in this market. The long-term purpose is to advance knowledge, to expose more questions that could probably be answered in the future and to recognize concerns about certain things which could be further resolved or tested by more work in the future regarding this field. There are many influences from several different sources in the environment that have an impact on the tourists decisions about holiday. However, research seems to be inconclusive regarding the medium that is most successful at persuading an audience towards a potential tourism destination. Consumers can be affected through several influences of the environment, such as interpersonal conversations with friends and family, advertisements, television, press, brochures and internet. On the same topic area a very interesting research has been made that compares the effects of advertising to publicity for marketing a tourism destination. This was a very important research as well because of the inconclusive results reported by previous comparison studies of advertising and publicity in the general marketplace. This research indicated that publicity is an important element in the marketing mix and that publicity messages have greater credibility than advertising and it suggests that publicity could be more effective than advertising for promoting tourism destinations. Of all information sources mentioned, non-mediated one-on-one personal information sharing is often cited as the most persuasive (Kotler, 1993). This category involves word of mouth conversations among friends and relatives. However it is very hard for marketers to influence this kind of personal information sources as they cannot get involved in this kind of interpersonal relation. Consequently, they have to focus their efforts on other communication tools in order them to persuade potential customers to try a product, in this case a destination. Thus, tourism organizations often rely on publicity as a communication device in order to approach an audience. However, it is still unclear if this device is effective at persuading potential tourists to visit a specific destination, what their attitude is towards destination travel programmes and what their perception is when it comes to these programmes. Despite the fact that many national tourist boards in their annual reports record the number of media in which they have achieved exposure, the amount of exposure in television is inefficient indicator of success and further research and analysis is necessary to determinate the impact of the television travel programmes on the potential tourists. But even thus television has a huge audience do viewers really view television, or do they use it as background noise or a babysitter for their children? Do they scan it occasionally, or instead use it for security when no one is at home? (Kaufman and Lane 1994) There is no concrete proves if even with all the exposition the television, and more specifically the travel programmes, plays an important role on the decision- making on potential tourists when they are deciding a destination. The advertisings and the television programmes can be perceived as just a merely entertainment and not as a really informative tool. This research attempts to evaluate the perceptions and attitudes of tourists towards travel programmes about destinations contained in the British television and what the effects of these programmes are when it comes to destination decision-making, message acceptance and message response. The most important variables that are studied in this research are message strength, attitude toward the destination, perception towards destination travelling programmes, credibility and reliability, and purchase intent.

Free College Essays - The Effects of Sin on Hester in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Effects of Sin on Hester Prynne Nathaniel Hawthorne believed his task was to analyze the effects of sin, whether thought or committed, on the human heart and mind. Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, deals with many themes, the most powerful being sin. In this novel, Hester Prynne becomes a highly respected person in a Puritan society by overcoming a constant reminder of her sin, a Scarlet letter A which she wears on her chest at all times. This object on "her bosom"; however, does the exact opposite of the initial purpose. Eventually, Hester reverses all the odds that are against here due to her courage, pride and effort. Hester went beyond the letter of the law and did everything asked of her in order to prove that she is "able." She comes from an impoverished but genteel English family, having lived in a "decayed house of gray stone, with a poverty stricken aspect, but retaining a half-obliterated sheild of arms over the portal, in token of antique gentility." But even without that specific indication of her high birth, the reader would know that Hester is a lady, from her bearing and pride. Especially in Chapter two, when she bravely faces the humiliation of the scaffold: "And never had Hester Prynne appeared more lady-like, in the antique interpretation of the term, than as she issued from the prison,"   Hester's daughter, Pearl, is "a blessing and is a reminder of her sin." As if the scarlet A were not enough punishment there "was a brat of that hellish breed" which would remind Hester of what had happened in the past. The "brat" could have been given away to Governor Bellingham yet Hester proclaimed that Pearl "is my happiness!...Ye shall not take her! I will die first!" Not a person in Boston, nor Hester herself thought highly of the little child and yet Hester still refused to let Pearl go. Hester carried the child around only because it was a direct reflection of her sin and to cast away her sin as freely as that to give it away would be unjust and unfair to Hester and Pearl. From now on Hester would continually and proudly be near Pearl. Hester would go against the grain in everything she did. Very rarely did she ever give up hope; never did she complete a job poorly.

Deism and Changes in Religious Tolerance in America Essay -- Deism Rel

Deism and Changes in Religious Tolerance in America      Ã‚  Ã‚   Religious conscience in America has evolved considerably since the first settlers emigrated here from Europe. Primary settlements were established by Puritans and Pilgrims who believed "their errand into the wilderness [America] was above all else a religious errand, and all institutions - town meeting, school, church, family, law-must faithfully reflect that fact" (Gaustad 61). However, as colonies grew, dissenters emerged to challenge Puritan authority; indeed, many of them left the church to join untraditional religious sects such as "the Ranters, the Seekers, the Quakers, the Antinomians, and the Familists" (Westbrook 26). Debates over softening the stance on tolerance in the church engendered hostility in many religious leaders, priming some officials to take action. Whether it was in direct response to "the liberalizing tendencies beginning to take hold in some [. . .] New England churches" (Westbrook 65), or a "reaction against the attempt in the Age of Reason to reduce Christian doctrine to rationalistic explanation" ("Great Awakening"), the Great Awakening impressed upon the issues of religious conscience. Moreover, what spawns from this controversy is a query over the juxtaposition of morality and spirituality: the question of whether these conditions are actually related. The gradual escalation of unconventional thinking in religious affairs facilitated new ideas on what defined spirituality; one religious theory, boosted by Thomas Paine and his book, The Age of Reason, denounced both Christianity and Atheism, proposing instead, a new concept: the middle path of Deism.    As a progressive religious view rising in popularity during the middle of the e... ...ns, it is quite possible that American's would not have religious freedom today.       Works Cited    Gaustad, Edwin S., ed. A Documentary History of Religion in America to the Civil War. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982. "Great Awakening." Colliers Encyclopedia. 1996 ed. Paine, Thomas. The Age of Reason. Ed. Moncure Daniel Conway. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1930. Richmond, B.A. "Deism: It's History, Beliefs, & Practices." Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 25 July 2000. http://www.religioustolerance.org/deism.htm. Walters, Kerry S. The American Deists: Voices of Reason and Dissent in the Early Republic. Lawrence: UP of Kansas, 1992. ---. Benjamin Franklin and His Gods. Chicago: University of Illinois, 1999. Westbrook, Perry D. A Literary History of New England. Cranbury: Associated University, 1988.

Han vs Roman Attitudes Toward Tech

Kimberly Giron AP World history September 27, 2012 World History DBQ Han society had positive attitude towards technology as some saw it as beneficial to society and others considered it a gift. Roman society had more of a supportive yet demeaning attitude towards technology. There is no doubt that things that benefit people and gift are considered positive. A Han government official (Document 1) wrote to local officials in order to advise them on how to use their technology to prevent floods, showing his interests in maintaining the empire so that it doesn't fall.Not only that, Han Guan, another government official (Document 2) goes against the way the government is monopolizing the making of technology and that technology should be made by the people, since government made technologies are brittle and costing the government more money as not much salt is being produced. It is very interesting that an official would speak against the government, but it may be due to the fact that th e scarcity of salt is costing this official money.Both officials may also be looking to maintain their positions or get higher ones once the emperor sees how well they are looking after the empire, which can only be maintained with the help of technology. Others in Han society consider technology as a gift from enlightened leaders. Huan Tan, an upper-class philosopher (document 3) mentions that Fuxi invented some technology which was efficient and beneficial to society. Fuxi, is said to be a wise enlightened emperor which means that since Fuxi made it, it is no doubt a great gift.There is also some government sponsored history (Document 4) which characterizes Tu Shih as a just and commoner loving man who developed technology in order lift some of the burden of labor off the people. Technology was Tu Shih's gift to the people and Tu Shih, was considered a Fuxi. Therefore this government sponsored historian also considers technology a gift. Roman attitude towards technology was that i s was necessary but that it didn't take much intelligence to make such technology, or in other words, a demeaning attitude.Cicero, an upper-class politician leader (Document 5), considered technology as something for vulgar common folk,not gentlemen. He believed that skill wasn't required to use such thing but, he never mentioned that technology was useless. Seneca, a philosopher and adviser (Document 7) also believed that it doesn't take brains to come up with technology but never attacks it's use in society as he sees that it doesn't matter who made it, but its use that matters.Their attitude must be influenced by the fact that technology was made by the lower class and acknowledging lower class work would mean lowering their pride. Other Roman attitudes were that technology was needed to create beauty. Frontius, a Roman general (Document 8) gives a glowing report on how beautiful technology has been able to make the empire's aqueducts, far more superior than structures in Greece and Egypt. Plutarch, a high official in Rome (Document 6) gives another positive report on the beauty of Roman roads created by Gaius Gracchus which was built with the help of their technology.Therefore, technology is practical, is essential for making things beautiful, but looked down upon as it is used by the lower class. Despite the different societies, it is clear that in each empire government officials and upper-class philosophers tend to share attitudes towards technology. It would be interesting to see the attitudes of common workers and women towards technology as they are the ones who make more use of it.Workers may be most affected by technology as they are the ones whom upper-class Romans consider to be the vulgar people who work with it and brainless people who invent it. In Han societies they would be the ones who produce the salt and also need the protection given by technology. The opinions of women would also provide information on how women were involved in technol ogy and how it affected gender roles. The documents above only provide a view for one class in each society therefore not giving a clear overall attitude on technology in each society.

Open Adoption vs. Closed Adoption

Many children are adopted each year, and with these children being adopted there are adoptions. There are many forms of adoption used throughout the world, but the biggest forms of adoption are closed adoption and open adoption. Open adoptions are adoptions in which the birthmother, the biological mother of an adoptee, is allowed contact with the adoptee. Closed adoption is an adoption where the birthmother of the adoptee is not present in the child’s life in any way shape or form. The birth family is completely cut off and cannot give or receive any information regarding their welfare or the adoptee’s.Closed adoptions are a better option than open adoption and should be mandatory because it would prevent confusion the child may face, allow children to actually fit into their adoptive family, provide privacy and closure and protect families from unstable birthparents. Having multiple sets of parents creates confusion in a family, and mostly for the child. â€Å"Adoptio n was created out of the recognition that children need to feel secure about who their parents are and what their parent’s role is† (Harnack 84). This is what’s best for the child in most if not all adoptions.The child needs to know who exactly is their parent, not a birthparent but the adoptive parent. Adoptive parents are permanent and a child may not grasp that idea with a tentative parent; the birth parent. When a child does not know who their parent is, it creates trouble. The child may even seek out trouble. Children are developing and such an unstable family creates really harsh developmental issues within the adoptee. All children need to know who their parents are and be able to trust that their parents are not going to leave them. Having a birth parent around makes things difficult for everyone, but most importantly the adoptee. The adoptee may have a reduced ability to assimilate into family-Interaction with the birth family may make it harder for the child to assimilate into the adoptive family† (â€Å"Open Adoption: Disadvantages†). This is one of many examples of how adoptive families are not as whole and full as they could potentially be because of problems with the birth parent. The feeling of rejection from a birthmother can seriously impact the intellectual growth and development of an adoptee. A recent interview of an adoptee provided more evidence and demonstrated how the privacy provided with a closed adoption would give the adoptive parents more closure.The fourteen year old adoptee learned about her closed adoption ten years ago when she was four, her parents wanted to wait to tell her until she was eighteen but the adoptee found out through another family member. So then the adoption became open allowing the adoptee contact with her birth mother. â€Å"Now,† said the adoptee â€Å"I speak with my birthmother more than I do my mom† (Anonymous). Her birthmother being a big part of her life, t he adoptee is losing her relationship with her adoptive parents. Her adoptive parents feel that if the birthmother wasn’t so intrusive in their lives that they would have a better relationship with their daughter.This is why the closure and privacy involved in a closed adoption is so critical. Although there are so many benefits in a closed adoption some people still argue that open adoption is not completely the worst option in some cases. Among those arguing are adoptees who develop clinical illnesses in their lifetime. One thing a doctor may ask when a patient is diagnosed with a disease is for medical history. An adoptee in a closed adoption does not have access to their medical history, that information is sealed at a court house as with the contact information of the birthfamily.In some cases the birth family is contacted and refuses to give up the vital information that would be beneficial in the treatment of a patient. â€Å"When an adoptee is denied medical informat ion†¦ he may feel like and adult who has no rights whatsoever† (Eldridge 269). An open adoption would ensure a medical history and prevent the scandal of being without, but this positive factor of open adoption does not outweigh the benefits of the closed adoption. One of those benefits includes escaping the risk of â€Å"an unstable birthparent [who] could cause problems† (Adamec).Many times adoptions occur because the birthparent is unsuited to raise the child. This includes birthparents who abuse drugs, are unemployed or even felonious. Unstable birthparents provide bad examples for adoptees and much of the time influence adoptees. Children have very malleable minds; this is why it is so easy for children to learn. They pick up traits and learn bad habits through the time they spend with their birthparents. There have also been worse cases, for example there are cases where birthparents kidnap the adoptee.The adoptive parents and the adoptee should never have to face the stress or trauma an unstable birth parent would cause. Open adoption has become conventional, almost a standard for adoptions. Closed adoptions are almost unheard of in this day and age. One would think with all the benefits of a closed adoption it would be the standard, but such is not the case. Closed adoptions are a better option because it helps adoptees to actually fit into their adoptive family, helps prevent confusion in an adoptee, provides privacy and closure, and protect the adoptive families from unstable birthfamilies.Work Cited Adamec, Christine. â€Å"†Open† or â€Å"Closed† Adoption? † Family Education. Pearson Education, Inc. , 2004. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. . Anonymous. Personal interview. 22 February 2013. Eldridge, Sherrie. Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. New York: Dell Publishing, 1999. Print. Harnack, Andrew. Adoption Opposing Viewpoints. Miami: San Val Incorporated, 1995. Print. â€Å"Open Adoption: Di sadvantages. † American Pregnancy Association. N. p. , Oct. 2008. Web. 7 Feb. 2013. .

Customer relationship management Essay

Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to provide insights into the development and management of a customer community, informing product innovation and engaging customers in co-creation of a consumption experience. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the state of current knowledge about co-production, co-creation and customer communities is followed by discussion of the case study methodology. The case history of a leading player in the UK and international â€Å"sportkiting† market focuses on product innovation and customer-community development. Discussion re? ects in more detail on the lessons from the case for application of the principles in practice. Findings – The case company’s innovative product development strategy provides the catalyst for co-creation of a customer experience. Its marketing actions extend beyond product development and innovation to actively co-creating experiences with customers, fostering a sense of community among users, facilitating communication within that community, acting on the feedback, and continuously developing and maintaining the community relationship. Research limitations/implications – The company’s marketing strategy can be summed up as â€Å"customer community leadership†. This paradigm proposes a new role for businesses in sectors where there is a potential to develop and engage communities. It provides a context for the effective facilitation of customer knowledge management, within which marketing intelligence plays a signi? cant role. The ? ndings offer scope for further research into the nature of this phenomenon and its relevance to co-creation in other industry sectors, and into numerous aspects of the processes and impacts associated with customer communities. Originality/value – The case contributes to the literature of co-creation, demonstrating how it has been achieved through a marketing strategy and marketing mix in a particular customer community. Keywords Customer relations, Innovation, Relationship marketing, Leadership Paper type Case study Marketing Intelligence & Planning Vol. 25 No. 2, 2007 pp. 136-146 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0263-4503 DOI 10. 1108/02634500710737924 Introduction. The increased complexity, globalization and knowledge-intensity of marketplaces require all businesses to make better use of their technological, organizational and marketing competences in order to survive. Contemporary organizations in highly competitive and highly innovative markets must be able to build market share quickly, by delivering fast, high quality, innovative solutions. The changing organisational environment has driven interest in organisational learning and knowledge management (Drucker, 1993; Prusak, 1997). Many studies have con? rmed customer knowledge as one of the most important knowledge bases for an organisation (Bennett and Gabriel, 1999; Chase, 1997), and there is a considerable interest in the potential of â€Å"co-production† and â€Å"co-creation† either individually or in community contexts, to enhance innovation and business performance (Gibbert et al. , 2002). Focus on the engagement of customers in organizational learning, innovation and knowledge processes heralds the dawn of a new paradigm of marketing intelligence in  which data and information are not simply gathered into databases and distilled to inform management decision making, but rather marketing intelligence is embedded in dynamic co-creation processes that involve customers as partners rather than subjects. Through a case study analysis and critique of a leading manufacturer of kiteboarding equipment, this paper seeks to provide insights into the engagement and management of a customer community, to inform product innovation and to engage customers in co-creation of a sporting experience. The case contributes to the literature of co-creation and speci?cally to the way in which communities can be enlisted in the co-creation of experiences. It begins with a literature review, outlining the state of current knowledge on co-production and co-creation and on customer communities, followed by a description of the case study methodology. A pro? le of the company, with particular reference to its product development and community development follows leads to re? ection in detail on the contribution from this case. Finally, conclusions and recommendations provide a summary of the issues. The concept of â€Å"customer community leadership† is proposed, and agendas for further research identi? ed. Literature review This section draws together current knowledge on two key themes: co-creation, or co-production, and customer communities. Research on both of these themes ? ts broadly within the paradigm or philosophy of relationship marketing. As the main plank of a marketing strategy, relationship marketing aims to build long term, mutually satisfying relations with customers, suppliers and distributors with the key objective of earning and retaining their long-term preference, loyalty and business (Foss and Stone, 2001; Peck et al., 1999; Buttle, 1996; Massey et al. , 2001). In discussing the absence of a consensus on the term relationship marketing, and on the appropriateness of the term, other authors have suggested that a focus on interactions and networks of interactions between businesses and their customers might be more meaningful (Healy et al. , 2001; Zoliewski, 2004). The concepts of co-production and customer communities both focus on interactions. Communities, in particular, involve networks of interactions. The theme of interaction between customers and organizations in product and service innovation is developed in the literature on co-production. Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2000) suggest that companies have to recognise that the customer is becoming a partner in creating value, and need to learn how to harness customer competences. One aspect of this will be the engagement of customers in co-creating personal experiences. The body of work on co-creation and co-production has grown in recent years. Kristensson et al. (2004) have examined the bene? Ts of involving users in suggesting new product ideas, ? nding that ordinary users created signi? cantly more original and valuable ideas than professional developers, whilst professional developers and advanced users created more easily reliable ideas. At a more modest level of customer engagement, Salomo et al. (2003) found that customer orientation in innovation projects (not necessarily, in this case, customer engagement) had a positive in? uence on NPD success and that the impact increased with the degree of product innovativeness. Similarly, Hsieh and Chen (2005) showed that new product development performance can be enhanced by interacting with users, and capitalising on user-knowledge management competences. Matthing et al. (2004) suggest that the Customer community and co-creation 137 MIP 25,2 138 value of customer involvement in new service development resides in the opportunity to facilitate proactive learning about the customer, and to understand and anticipate latent customer needs. Lilien et al. (2002) suggest that user contribution to the idea generation process is optimised through the careful selection of â€Å"lead users† to participate in the process. Dahlsten (2004) discusses customer involvement in the case of a product development project at Volvo Cars, which allowed the project management team to acquire an understanding of the customer through â€Å"customer presence†. A study comparing the sources of product and process innovation in large and small technology-based ? rms found that product developers in SMEs valued customers, co-workers, marketing and journals more highly, whilst suppliers were particularly valued by large ? rms (Bommer and Jalajas, 2004). Co-creation might be viewed as an aspect of customer-knowledge competence, the processes that generate knowledge about speci? c customers (Campbell, 2003). Gibbert et al. (2002, p. 460) describe customer knowledge management as a process in which organisations seek to â€Å"know what their customers know† and de? ne it as: . . . the strategic process by which cutting-edge companies emancipate their customers from passive recipients of products and services, to empowerment as knowledge partners. CKM is about gaining, sharing, and expanding the knowledge residing in customers, to both customer and corporate bene? It is thus concerned with an understanding of how to elicit and leverage knowledge from customers. Their emphasis on interacting with customers and co-production, extending to co-learning, lifts the focus from collecting data and information in order to learn about customers to learn with customers. They discuss ? ve different styles of customer knowledge management, including â€Å"prosumerism† where the customer acts as co-producer, and â€Å"communities of creation† in which groups of people work together, have shared interests, and want to jointly create and share knowledge. The focus of co-production research is often on product innovation and new product development, with some contributions relating to service development (Matthing et al. , 2004). However, Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2003), suggest a future in which the locus of innovation and co-production will shift from products and services to â€Å"experience environments†. This suggestion aligns with other proposals that the â€Å"experience marketing† era is on the horizon, and that it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to respond to the needs of the experience consumer (Li and Wei, 2004). Co-creation may take place in the context of customer communities. There is a considerable literature on customer clubs (Butscher, 2002; Gustafsson et al. , 2004; Stauss et al. , 2001) and loyalty schemes (Bolton et al. , 2000; Mauri, 2003; Passingham, 1998; Worthington, 2000). Only a small sub-group of such clubs and schemes can properly be described as customer communities, however, which should at the very least exhibit C2C interaction. To convincingly justify the use of â€Å"community† they should furthermore share a culture with norms, values and identity, and mutual interests and objectives. Fan clubs, interest clubs, and software user groups may constitute customer communities. Butscher (2002) identi? es the Kawasaki Riders Club, The Volkswagen Club, and Swatch The Club as examples which might be described as customer communities. On the other hand, loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard, American Express, Airmiles, and Marriot Rewards are focussed on the B2C dimension of relationship marketing, and do little to cultivate or in? uence C2C interactions. Therefore, whilst they may be able to identify a relatively stable group of users, they have not created a community. One context in which there has been more discussion of customer communities is the virtual environment (Armstrong and Hagel, 1996). Some loyalty schemes use this channel to support C2C interaction. Virtual customer communities enable organizations to establish distributed innovation models that involve varied customer roles in new product development (Nambisan, 2002; Pitta and Fowler, 2005). Nambisan (2002) suggests that the design of virtual customer environments needs to consider interaction patterns, knowledge creation, customer motivation, and integration of the virtual customer community with the new product development team. Dholakia et al. (2004) explore the impact of group norms and social identity on participation in consumer communities. The wider literature on virtual communities and their role in learning and knowledge creation is also substantial, and may have perspectives to offer on the role of virtual communities in innovation (Hall and Graham, 2004; Davenport and Hall, 2002; Wenger, 2000). In conclusion, the themes of co-creation and customer communities have been identi? ed as important in the literature, but there remains a scope for considerable further work, speci?  cally relating to: . co-creation of experiences; Customer communities that exist in both physical and virtual space; and . the mechanisms and processes through which organizations can engage customer communities, as opposed to individual members of those communities, in co-creation. Methodology Case studies are a valuable way of looking at the world around us, and asking how or why questions (Yin, 1994). The case study design adopted in this paper may be described as a holistic single case design. Typically, single case designs are appropriate when the exercise has something special to reveal that might act as a point of departure for challenging received wisdom, prior theoretical perspectives and untested assumptions. A specialist in sporting kite technology was chosen as the basis for the case analysis in this paper for four reasons in particular, as follows: (1) The stated mission of Flexifoil International is to: â€Å"provide our customers with the ultimate Kitesports experience† (www.? exifoil. com/company). (2) Flexifoil has been consistently committed to product innovation. (3) Flexifoil works with customers and proactively builds customer communities to support customer engagement in co-creation of the kiting experience. (4) The active and extensive participation of one of the authors in the kiting community formed the basis for an in-depth understanding of the community building and co-creation processes observed. Company pro? le: Flexifoil International Through product innovation, the company seeks to design and develop the highest performance products, with new designs and products that support new kite-based Customer community and co-creation 139 MIP. 25,2 sporting experiences and events. Flexifoil build both their own customer community and the kite boarding community in general through customer service, distribution networks, sponsorship and promotion of the sports for which their products are used. They provide opportunities for the kite sporting community to interact, online and in other ways. Their community is thus built through B2B, C2B and C2C relationships and channels. 140 Product development Until the early 1970s, a kite had for hundreds of years been a piece of fabric controlled with one or two lines, designed to be hand-?own in windy conditions. What is now Flexifoil International started when two English university students effectively â€Å"invented† the two-line power kite by producing the ? rst to be sold commercially. Two larger kites with the evocative names â€Å"Pro Team 8† and â€Å"Super 10† established Flexifoil’s market position, and enabled the company to enter upon a period of innovation and experimentation that explored a range of different potential applications for power kites. Some of their innovations were successful, others less so, such as three-wheeled buggies designed to be pulled by a power kite or traction kite. The successful developments in materials and design technology by Flexifoil and its followers allowed this basic product to support today such diverse activities as kite boarding (water-based), snow kiting, kite land boarding, buggying, recreational power kiting, and sportkiting (â€Å"traditional† kiting). The company’s own product range now comprises: power kites, recreational kites, traction kites, and water re-launchable kites; buggies and boards; lines and control gear; and miscellaneous accessories such as clothing. Following the launch of a web site, with associated forums in which enthusiasts could meet and exchange ideas, Flexifoil’s sales increased by around 25 per cent each year between 1999 and 2004. Innovation continued, with the development of water-based kiting or kitesur? ng, and later kites for land boarding and snow kiting. Over the last thirty years, the company had thus effectively created a market, and maintained leadership in its particular niche, by means not only of product innovation but also engagement with and cultivation of a power-boarding community. Community development Distribution. The community development process begins with the company’s distribution network of authorised retail outlets. Initially, those were mainly windsur? ng and sur? ng shops, but more recently specialised kiting shops have entered the market. Signi? cantly for Flexifoil, some of those have developed into â€Å"kitesports centres† where customers can â€Å"? y before they buy†. At three Premier Kite Sports Centres, the most comprehensive Flexifoil range is available for trial in an environment characterised by knowledgeable staff and extensive facilities in a good location; activity training is also on offer. A smaller range of Flexifoil kites is sold through high street shops. The company also moves the product to market through training schools, academies and university kite clubs, to whom equipment is available at discounted rates or even free of charge if the outlet becomes an of? cial Flexifoil training centre. In addition to these bricks-and-mortar outlets, the company transacts a signi? cant proportion of its retail sales through internet distributors. It also sells spare parts,  branded clothing and a selection of promotional merchandise via Flexifoildirect. com, but restricts distribution of core products to distributors who can offer a full after-sales service. The objective of the company’s distribution strategy is to build, support and maintain an effective customer community. Promotion and marketing communication. The main platform of Flexifoil’s promotional programme is to communicate their commitment to after-sales support, and their ambition to maintain good relationships with both customers and dealer outlets. This strategy, in turn, generates positive word-of-mouth communication, and often act as a channel for customer feedback that can inform future product innovation and development. In pursuit of that objective, Flexifoil make extensive use of specialised advertising media, including every kite magazine in circulation, often running double-page spreads. A branded display stand for Flexifoil product catalogues is distributed to every dealer. To keep the brand at the centre of the kitesporting world, the company sponsors a team of kite boarders who compete around the world. The promotional mix thus embraces advertising, publicity, sales promotion and point-of-sale. Flexifoil furthermore use their web site and its forums proactively to develop the UK kiting community, especially pre-launch. Previews of new kites provoke discussion in the forums, and a level of interest that builds up over months of anticipation and typically generates high sales volumes immediately on the release of the product. This online communication channel brings customers together to exchange experiences, and sell equipment to each other. The company lays claim to the largest online kiting community, of nearly 7,000 members. The variety of forums available to its members specialise in the full range of sportkiting activities. The clear aim of the marketing communications strategy is, like the distribution strategy, to create a community of interest rather than one based simply on transaction. Discussion This discussion will draw out two themes from the case study analysis: co-creation, and customer communities. The study contributes a perspective on the co-creation of experiences, which  is a central element in the emerging paradigm of experience marketing. By continuing engagement with their customer community, the subject company has been able not only to gather feedback on the experiences associated with the use of its products, but also to add to them by offering opportunities, in both the real and virtual environments for customer to enjoy interactions with others who share their interests. It monitors and enhances the experience through the same channels. Whilst product innovation is stepwise, the dialogue and interaction with customers on which that innovation is based is continuous. This is not â€Å"co-production† in the sense that the term is used in new product development contexts, but rather in the service context, where the term refers to the fact that customers have a hand in the development of their own service experience. Nevertheless, experience â€Å"co-creation† in this case, embeds product innovation. The impact of this approach to co-creation is dif? cult to disentangle from the impact of other business and marketing actions. The signi? cant increase in sales in the years since the launch of the web site could be taken as one indicator, but it  Customer community and co-creation 141 MIP 25,2 142 is important to acknowledge the spiral nature of the community creation process. This increase in sales will have expanded the community, and probably also have intensi? ed customers’ engagement with the experiences that community members co-create with the company. The case also contributes some insights on the nature of customer communities. Though the company does ask customers to register their product and thereby collects personal contact details, it does not operate a customer community, club or loyalty scheme. Rather, the innovative and interesting products act as a catalyst for community creation through the medium of the â€Å"experiences† they deliver. The customer community comprises those who have participated in those experiences, enjoyed them, and wish to develop the interaction. Customers work in partnership with the company to build excitement and develop skill, and by sharing the experiences with others, add to the totality of the customer community. The company has taken a number of actions to facilitate this process, including working with distributors, sponsorship, engagement in events, training courses, and an interactive web site. Speci? cally, their approach to communication with their customers is sophisticated. The common view of marketing communications as a one-way transmission is replaced by a marketing communications strategy designed to build and reinforce the company’s position as a leader of a community. Traditional channels such as advertising, sponsorship, and even brand building are only elements in a complex web or network of marketing communications activities, involving C2C and B2B as well as B2C relationships. The company communicates directly with its customers, but also provides contexts which encourage them to â€Å"talk† among themselves. In addition, the marketing communications effort is â€Å"pushed† through distributors, not just in terms of the traditional advertising and branding, but also through the selection of distributors that can offer appropriate support and advice. These actors in the system have a role in welcoming new members into the community. They are supported in doing so by the existing on-line community, and various company-sponsored events at which members are encouraged to gather. The customer community has built gradually as the business has grown. As new products have been added to the product range to support new sports, new sub-communities have formed around them. The process of community development goes hand in hand with product development. Conclusions and recommendations The entrepreneurs behind Flexifoil International have simultaneously created a sport, and an associated sporting community. The company is clear that its mission as not simply to develop and distribute the best products but rather to deliver the most exciting kiting experience. This case study has demonstrates that the entire marketing mix is focussed not on transactions, or even relationship building, but rather on community creation. That community includes both consumers and dealers. Product innovation, distribution and promotion are tightly coupled with community creation. Community building is not just about increasing membership, or even about the engagement of members with the community, but focuses on the creation of a level of mutuality in which there is ongoing dialogue between community members and the company. Flexifoil has neither annexed an existing community, nor do they â€Å"own† one, although they do manage a virtual space through which the community can interact. Rather, their product innovation and the experiences that their product range provides have the potential to act as the catalyst for the community, whilst sponsorship, engagement in events, and the virtual space all facilitate the enhancement of the experience for community members. Other companies compete with Flexifoil for leadership of the power kiting community, both rival manufacturers and others keen to enhance the sportkiting experience. Many of these have web sites through which they seek to capture an online community. For example, one casts itself as â€Å"the kite ? yer’s portal to the internet† offering links to kite manufacturers and kite stores in the USA and Canada, to other power kiting web sites, to other kite ? yer sites, kite teams and clubs, and to magazines and newsgroups. Another claims to be â€Å"the online community that brings ? yers together† and a third promotes itself as â€Å"the internet magazine for kiters†. All offer different services and bene? ts to their customers, but for some, their engagement with the sport kiting community will be restricted to virtual space. Though Flexifoil has a strong brand presence as a manufacturer, it needs to encourage members to participate with it in â€Å"co-creation† if it is to deliver on its mission of providing customers with the ultimate kite sports experience. The approach to marketing strategy described in this case study can aptly be described as customer community leadership. By leading the sport kiting community, but not owning it, Flexifoil has created a community that will buy their products, co-create kiting experiences, provide insights that can inform innovation in the product, the experience and the community innovation, look forward to the next product release, and mutually enhance community members’ experiences of the company’s products and services. Embedded in this approach to community leadership are a number of more traditional marketing actions, such as new product development, advertising, and commitment to after-sales support. The distribution channels are designed to offer the support and training that is likely to enhance sport kiting experiences, but also to build relationships with dealers, and to bring sports kiters together. This is supplemented by opportunities for interaction in virtual space. Community development is achieved through a network of relationship-building actions, at the heart of which are enjoyable and shareable sports kiting experiences. Through community leadership, the company has created a context in which customers are thus from being passive recipients of products and services, and empowered as knowledge partners (Gibbert et al., 2002). In other words, it has thereby created a context that facilitates the processes of customer knowledge management. This is an approach to marketing intelligence and decision making embedded in dynamic co-creation processes that involve customers as partners. It is worth noting that the term â€Å"customer community leadership† can have two different meanings in practice. First, it may mean leadership of a community, in the sense of making it work, setting its direction, and participating in the shaping of experiences of community members. In this context, the focus is on factors such as member engagement, culture, norms, identity and community viability, in terms of the value delivered to all parties. Second, it can describe an avenue to market leadership, in which the business performance of an organisation over the longer term is de? ned and determined by the extent to which its leadership of a community of potential customers, or its power and capacity to lead, is greater than that of its competitors. Customer community and co-creation 143 MIP 25,2 144 In taking the development of the concept of customer community leadership forward, it will be important to explore the different styles and approaches that are and can be adopted by different ? rms and organizations. Given that another essential of successful leadership is followers, an important phenomenon for further study is the nature of â€Å"followership† in this context. This case study has focussed on the actions and strategies adopted by one business to build and bene? t from a customer community and to engage customers in the co-creation of an experience. In addition, it has demonstrated how both online and real-world communities can be enlisted to contribute to building the experience. There is a scope for considerable further study of the processes associated with the co-creation of the experience, and the details of how communities operate. Such research needs both to cover a wider range of organizations and business sectors, and to examine in more detail aspects of communities, co-creation and customer knowledge management. Some potential areas of investigation are: . Perceptions and views of different stakeholders as to the impact of the community and the contributions of different parties in the co-creation of the experience. . The pro? le of such customer communities in terms of loyalty, retention and customer lifetime value, including comparisons between online and real-world communities. . Community processes, including models of key processes of in? uence, knowledge and learning, identi? cation and role of â€Å"node† members, and the role of celebrity voices and endorsement. . The marketing actions that contribute to the cultivation of effective co-creation communities. References Armstrong, A. G. and Hagel, J. (1996), â€Å"The real value of online communities†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74, pp. 134-40. Bennett, R. and Gabriel, H. I. (1999), â€Å"Organisational factors and knowledge management within large marketing departments: an empirical study†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 212-25. Bolton, R. N. , Kannan, P. K. and Bramlett, M. D. 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