orld Trade Organization Essay Example for Free

orld Trade Organization Essay On November 30, 1999, major governments met at a World Trade Organization (WTO), ministerial meeting at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. During this meeting an enormous public protest took place in the streets of Seattle. The protestors were representing human rights groups, students, environmental groups, religious leaders, labor rights activists and members of numerous other groups. The groups were not only from the United States, but had come from all over the world. All of these people were peacefully protesting the practices of the WTO in the name of free trade. The protestors stated that the WTO upheld trade practices that allowed child labor, low wages and environmental destruction. The WTO justified these practices in the name of free trade. Tens of thousands of people were in Seattle to protest peacefully, and the protests did start peacefully, but they did not end that way. A small number of anarchist groups were in Seattle to cause civil disobedience and acts of vandalism and property damage. These groups conducted deliberate acts of vandalism on corporate offices in Seattle. The Seattle Police Department did not have the number of officers, even with help from other departments, to handle the number of protestors. The officers used pepper spray, tear gas, stun grenades and eventually rubber bullets to try to unblock congested city streets. Some of the anarchists fought back by breaking windows and vandalizing storefronts. Dumpsters were pushed out into intersections and they were lit on fire and tires on police cars were deflated. The National Guard was finally called in, but did not get to Seattle until the next morning. Once the WTO packed up and went home, the protestors packed up and went on their way. When the meeting finished, businesses had suffered millions of dollars in damage and lost sales, over 500 people were arrested. No deaths were attributed to the protest and no one was seriously injured. There was controversy over city response and the Seattle police chief resigned. The anarchist protestors felt the protest was a success. Before the Seattle Protest, there was almost no mention of anti-globalization in the U. S. media but the protest had forced the media to report on why anyone would oppose the WTO. Good or bad, the message of the protestors was broadcast to the world.

Consumers decisions: Product attributes and branding

Consumers decisions: Product attributes and branding In this research, instant coffee purchasing is selected to study the buying decision of consumers. Three blind taste tests are experimented and proofing that participant tended to choose the popular brand of coffee. Surprisingly, people made different choices in each of the test. The result tells us that without knowing the brand name, their buying decisions are different when comparing with knowing the brand name. In conclusion, brand has a strong influence in consumers decisions. To better understand the blind taste tests, we executed a questionnaire survey immediately. As a result, the survey tells us taste is the most important factor in affecting their buying decisions whereas their second consideration would be price, brand, and influenced by advertisement. This giving an idea that except for the brand and taste, there are many factors should affecting the consumers buying decision. Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Literature Review 2 2.1. Brand name 2 2.2. Brand Image 4 2.3. Linking brands to consumer perceptions of product 5 2.4. Consumer buying behavior and decision making 6 2.5. Customer satisfaction and loyalty 9 2.6. Product attributes 10 3. Research Methodology 12 3.1. Pilot study 15 4. Findings and discussions 16 4.1. Participants 16 4.2. Relationship of brand, taste and decision 17 4.3. Post-tests evaluation 20 4.4. Buying behavior 23 4.5. Discussions 26 5. Conclusion 28 5.1. Recommendations 28 5.2. Conclusion 29 6. References 30 7. Appendix 33 7.1. Annex: The Blind Test and Questionnaire 33 Lists of Tables and Diagrams Table 4.1 Years of being Nescafe supporters 16 Table 4.2 The participants preference of instant coffee in Test A 17 Table 4.3 The participants preference of instant coffee in Test B 18 Table 4.4 The participants preference of instant coffee in Test C 19 Table 4.5 The No. of people continuing to purchase Nescafe coffee after trying the blind taste tests 20 Table 4.6 The recommendation of coffee to friends after trying the blind taste tests 21 Table 4.7 Satisfaction of Nescafe before the blind taste tests 22 Table 4.8 Satisfaction of Nescafe after the blind taste tests 23 Table 4.9 The factors affecting consumers buying decision of instant coffee 24 Keywords Branding, Brand image, Brand equity, Consumer buying behavior, Consumer buying decision, Customer satisfaction and loyalty, Product attributes Introduction Over the past few decades, a considerable number of studies have been made on the relationship of branding and consumer buying behavior (Fournier, 1994; Keon, 1983), i.e. how the consumer buying behavior affected by branding. Many companies devote lots of money and manpower to build up images for their brands. That is the reason why many studies have focused on this field. In this research will be figured out which factor, brand name or product attributes, plays a critical role in affecting consumer buying decision. In the economists normal approach, price is used as the main tool to explain the consumer buying behavior (Becker, 1996). We carry out blind taste tests and also conduct a questionnaire to find out the impact of branding on consumers preferences. . Literature Review This literature review is going to analysis what has been done in investigating the relationship among brand, consumer buying decision and product attributes. Such information will be digested and modified to be applied to instant coffee purchasing in the Hong Kong market. Brand name In recognition of the growing coffee culture that is sweeping Hong Kong, different tastes of coffee have been rolled out on the market. For example, Nescafe has newly released a new series of coffee Latte in which the image is totally different from the original Nescafe coffee. Old Town coffee has introduced a new series called white coffee. Why do they give new brand names for the new products? Why do they have different images? Is there any advantage for them to do so? According to Armstrong and Kotler (1999), brands can be described as a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of these, which identifies the maker or seller of a product or service. Later, Olins (2000) gives a supplement to the definition of brand. He suggests that brand is a device that helps differentiating products from different sellers, without clear branding, in some fields, we literally could not tell one product or service from another. By using brand names, consumers can easily distinguish products from different sellers. Brand Image In the words of Keller (1998), marketers can build up an image for the product to draw customers attention so as to induce more sales (Keller, 1998). Randall (1997) says Brand image is the whole image of the brand existing in the minds of consumers. It is the total information that the consumers have received about the brand. Some scholars think that the brand image can influence consumers buying decisions. Furthermore, Ogilvy (1983) suggests that consumers do not buy products; rather they buy products with a personality. Ogilvy (1983) also suggests the fact that a brand can have a personality or image reflecting that people not only want the basic function offered by the product, but also psychological benefits. If a brand image matches with an individuals image, he/she will purchase that product and may stick to that brand in future (brand loyalty) (Levine, 2003). From the above statements, it seems that consumers are concerned more about the brand image rather than product attribu tes. In the research, we will use the product of instant coffee to test the validity of the above statements. After reviewing the sections of 2.1 and 2.2, we can say that there is an intimate relationship among brand name, brand image and the consumers. Linking brands to consumer perceptions of product In the research, we will investigate how consumers make buying decisions. Perception of a product is crucial in making the buying decision; therefore, it is necessary to find the linkage between brand and consumer perceptions. Olins (2000) suggests that people can have a relationship with a brand: they have an immense emotional content and inspire loyalty beyond reason. Besides, Keller (1998) suggests that what distinguishes a brand from its unbranded commodity is the sum of consumers perceptions and feelings about the products attributes and performance, brand name and what it stands for and the company associated with the brand. In the past, there were only a few instant coffee brands available in the market. In recent yeas, a lot of new instant coffee brands appear in the market, such as Indocafe and Old Town coffee. The traditional branding strategy which has emphasized on product offerings and associated functional and utilitarian benefits is no longer workable in the market. People are now paying more attention to the brand (Levine, 2003). Therefore, it is no wonder many companies create a strong and distinctive brand image for their products so as to differentiate himself from other competitors (Keller, 1998). Advertising is widely used by the companies to build up a brand image. In Hong Kong, many coffee brands have been advertised on TV and in magazine, such as Maxwell house, Nescafe and Mr. Brown. Most studies have found that there are inter-relationships among brand, advertisement and consumers buying decisions (MacKenzie et al., 1986). Besides, that the affective and cognitive-based attitudes towar ds the brand can affect the consumers buying decisions (Homer et al., 1992). Advertising is the primary device used to build the image of a brand and most of the customers usually rely on advertising messages when they make an infrequent purchase for an unfamiliar product (Dowling, 2001).Well-established brands attract increased preference and usage (East, 1997), produce greater emotional ties (Biel, 1993), and boost trust and loyalty (Fournier, 1994). If the statement is true, it indicates that customers perception of products derive from marketing effort such as brand images and brand differentiation in addition to the physical characteristics of the product. What about the product quality? Can product quality influence the perception of product? Consumer buying behavior and decision making In our study, consumer buying decision is our key focus. We will focus on how the consumers make their buying decisions in purchasing instant coffee. We want to know which factors, brand or product attributes, influences most in the process of buying decision making of consumers. Therefore, we must understand the consumer buying behavior and how they make the buying decisions. In the past, consumers were more concerned with a products function- efficiency, reliability, value-for-money, durability and convenience todays customers are prepared to pay more for a stylish product as they become more affluent and visually sophisticated (Henley Centre, 1989). It is no wonder companies put much effort on packaging, product design and advertising. In the words of Bayley (1989), the ambience, the layers of imagery, the texture, the decoding- all of these are vested interests leading to the only rationale: a purchase. Consumer buying behavior refers to the buying behavior of final consumers, individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption (Armstrong et al., 1999). Consumers have to make decisions when there is more than one choice. However, how do the consumers make their buying decisions? Foxall (1980) suggests that consumers will make the buying decisions according to perception, personality, motivation and attitudes. He says that consumer behavior is a process of learning and it depends on how you perceive the product. The process is modified according to the customers past experience and the objectives he or she has set (Foxall, 1980). Besides, Foxall (1980) also suggests that consumers personality and self-image is important in studying consumer buying decision as he believes that consumers only choose products that are consistent with their perceptions of themselves. By using Foxalls (1980) idea, it is not difficult to understand the relationship between brand and consumer buying decision. Once the brand image and consumers image is matched, consumer will purchase that product. Besides, Foxall (1980) also claimed that consumer buying decision is motivated by something more than awareness. It depends on the consumers needs and drives, his tastes and aspirations, plus his attitudes, personality and social environment (Foxall, 1980). Furthermore, Foxall (1980) says that attitudes and buying decision are related and each may influence the other, however, they are not always entirely consistent. Customer satisfaction and loyalty Although our key focus of the research is how the consumers make buying decisions in purchasing coffee, customer satisfaction will also be investigated. In our study, satisfaction refers to the situation when consumers expectations are matched by perceived performance (Blackwell et al., 2001). After purchasing a product, consumers will have a post-purchase evaluation (Foxall, 1980). Consumers will continue to purchase the product if they are satisfied with it. It is called loyalty. Sometimes, they may recommend it to their relatives and friends. In the research, the blind tests will be used to find out how the consumers perceive the product, that is, to see if consumers can recognize the taste of the brand that they have chosen. Previous study has found that customer satisfaction has a positive effect on loyalty and they will repurchase the product again (Oliver, 1997; Mittal et al., 2001). If the consumers are satisfied with the taste of coffee in the blind tests but it is not the brand the consumers used to buy, we can say that brand influences consumers much and the consumers only loyal to the brand but not the product itself. Product attributes According to Armstrong and Kotler (1999), product attributes can be defined as something that can deliver the benefits offered by the product and can add value to the customers. In the words of Keller (1998), product attributes are the ingredients necessary for performing the product or service function sought by consumers. They refer to a products physical composition and are what determine the nature and level of product performance (Keller, 1998). It can be further characterized according to important and optional features, either necessary for a product to work or for allowing customization and more versatile personalized usage (Keller, 1998). In the research, we will focus on the study of instant coffee and we will regard taste as the most important attributes of coffee. Some studies have carried out in which consumers perceive the products they buy and the brands they regularly choose. Taste is used to determine the effect of brand identification on consumers reactions to and evaluations of products (Allison Uhl, 1964; Makens, 1961). The studies conclude that Participants in general did not appear to be able to discern the taste differences among the various brands, but apparently labels and their associations did influence their evaluations. To sum up the literature review, many studies (Allison Uhl, 1964; Keon, 1983; Makens, 1961) have shown that consumers are influenced by branding. However, to what extent will the consumers make their buying decisions according to product attributes? The research will find out the answer. Research Methodology I used the technique of triangulation (White, 2000) in my research in which two techniques, blind taste test and questionnaire, were used. Before conducting the actual survey, I randomly selected 82 people outside a supermarket in Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong and asked them if they had the habit of buying instant coffee. 39 of them stated that they buy instant coffee regularly but 18 of them said that they do not drink instant coffee. In the 39 people, 33 (84.6%) of them said that they usually buy Nestlà ©s instant coffee, Nescafe. 4 (10.3%) of them buy Maxwell House instant coffee and 2 (5.1%) of them buy Old Town instant coffee. I invited the 33 Nescafe instant coffee buyers to do the blind taste test and questionnaire as they were the majority (84.6%) of the respondents. I believed choosing Nescafe instant coffee buyers to be the sample was more representative as they represent the majority of the coffee drinkers that I have asked. However, only 30 of them agreed to participate in the test. The 30 Nescafe instant coffee buyers were my sample population. The sample consisted of 8 males and 22 females who have the habit of buying instant coffee on their own. The blind taste test was carried out in order to find out how the consumers choose coffee. The test was divided into three parts and each part would have 10 participants. In the three blind taste tests, Tsit Wing instant coffee (TW), Maxwell House instant coffee (MH) and Nescafe instant coffee (NC) were used. I chose the three coffees as their price is more or less the same. Every participant had tried the Tsit Wing instant coffee (TW), Maxwell House instant coffee (MH) and Nescafe instant coffee (NC) before. In Test A, three cups of different coffee were given without brand labels. NC was the brand that the sample population used to buy. The participants were asked to taste the coffee and choose one that they would purchase. The data collected in the Test A would serve as a base reference. If the participants like the taste of NC, they will also choose the NC in the test. In Test B, three different cups of coffee were given. Each cup of coffee had a label showing the brand of coffee. The aim of the Test B was to see if there was any difference between Test A and Test B. If they really like the taste of NC, the results in the Test A and B would be consistent. If the results in the two tests are not consistent, it shows that brand influence consumers decision. Test C was carried out to determine if the consumer buying decision was independent of the brand name. The Test C was the same as Test B, except the name of the coffee brand were labeled wrongly. I labeled the cup of MH as TW, the cup of TW as NC and the cup of NC as MH. By comparing with the result obtained in the three tests, we hoped to find out which factors, brand or taste, has a greater influence on the consumers. If the data obtained in the Test A does not match with the data obtained in the Test B, it tells that brand has an influence on consumers decisions. The reason is in Test A, the participants only know the taste of the coffee and they can only choose the coffee according to the taste of coffee. In Test B, however, the participants know both the taste and brand. If their decisions are different, that means the brand affects their buying behavior. For the Test C, the three different coffees were used again. However, their brand names were labeled wrongly this time. Comparing the result obtained in this test to that of in the Test B, if the result has a big difference, that means the brand has a greater influence than the taste on the decision of participants. Besides, questionnaire (Annex 7.1) was also used to obtain data. The questionnaire, used immediately after the blind taste tests, consisted of five questions with choices given. Pilot study The pilot study made me realize that what I need is to observe their buying behavior which cannot be asked but observed. Therefore, I decided to do the blind taste tests and questionnaire instead of doing an interview which allowed me to focus on measuring the influence of brand and taste on the consumers decisions. Afterwards, I decided to carry a three blind taste tests with three groups of people. I enjoy to take this chance tend to do all blind taste test is they will remember the taste of the coffee in the test, and finally affect their choice in the next following tests. Findings and discussions Participants Of the total number of 30 respondents, 8 (26.7%) were males and 22 (73.3%) were females. All of them were NC consumers. More than a half people had 1 to 3 years NC purchasing experience and 70% of them had at least 1 year purchasing experience. From the data, we can assume that some participants are experienced in purchasing instant coffee and the results obtained from them are valuable to discuss and analyze. Relationship of brand, taste and decision In the research, blind taste tests were used to find out how the consumer made decisions regarding brand and taste in purchasing instant coffee. Three tests were carried out. In each test, participants were given three cups of different coffee. In Test A, three cups of coffee without brand name were given. In Test B, brand name was given to each cup of coffee. In Test C, brand names were given but placed wrongly on each coffee. In Test A, three cups of coffee without label were given to participants to taste. Surprisingly, the result was not consistent with our expectation. In other words, taste was the only reason for their choices in the Test A. The result told us that without knowing the brand name, their preferences were different when comparing with knowing the brand name. In this test, the result was changed because the participants knew the brand name when comparing with the result of the Test A. There was a 30% increase in the NC and a 30% decrease in the MH. The data showed that the brand really influenced participants when deciding the coffee. In Test C, the participants had to taste three cups of different coffee in which the brand labels were placed wrongly. The result was very close to that of Test A. That means they chose as if just chose by the taste only. It gave us a hint that with a different label on the cups, their choices were different. What we can conclude is that the brand plays an important role in affecting buying decision of participants. Post-tests evaluation After the three blind taste tests, the participants in Test A and C were told about the correct branding of the coffee they had tried. All the participants were asked if they would continue to purchase the NC after trying the tests. As shown in the Table 4 .5, only 30% of the participants would firmly say yes. Half of them had a second thought of their decisions. It told us that they started to think about their perceptions of NC coffee. It implies that the participants will also consider the taste when purchasing instant coffee. Participants were asked to choose one coffee to recommend to their friends after trying the blind taste tests. The result was shown in Table 4 .6. The result was very interesting that about half of them recommend NC to their friends while another half suggested MH, was most people voted due to the taste in the Test A. It implies that branding and taste also have a strong influence in consumers buying behavior. Participants were asked if they were satisfied with the NC. Before the blind taste test, over 40% of the participants were satisfied with the NC. However, after the blind taste tests, only 17% were satisfied with it and there was 13% of participants were dissatisfied. From the result in Fig. 4 .7 and Fig. 4 .8, we can see that the participants were influenced by the blind test. We can say that beside the factors related to the products, there are some other factors may affect our buying decision. Buying behavior In the research, participants were asked immediately after the blind taste tests about how they made the buying decision when purchasing instant coffee. Factors affecting buying decision In the research, the participants were asked to give factors they thought were influential in making the buying decision in the questionnaire. The answers were shown in the Table 4 .9. In Fig. 4 .9, it shows the most influential factor affecting buying decision. 63% of the participants regard Taste was the most influential (Table 8.1), 13% voted for Influenced by advertisement, 10% for Brand image, 7% for Price and 7% for Word-of-mouth. Nobody voted for brand in the questionnaire. Comparing to the results obtained in the blind tests, the results were inconsistent. In the blind tests, it was found that the influence of the brand was greater than the influence of the taste. In Fig. 4 .10, it shows the top three influential factors affecting buying decision regarding to instant coffee purchasing. Nearly one-third of the whole population voted for the Taste, the second one was Price (20%) and the third were Brand (13.3%) and Influenced by advertisement (13.3%). The Fig. 4 .10 shows that Price is also an important factor in making the buying decision. The data gives us an idea that beside brand and taste, there are many factors should be considered in making the buying decision. Discussions According to the three blind taste tests and the questionnaires done by the participants, we can see that the brand influence was strong to the participants. In the Test A, participants did not know the brand but the taste. They chose the coffee according to the taste. More than 50% of the NC buyers chose MH. However, when the brands were labeled on each cup of coffee in Test B, 50% of the NC buyers choose NC. In Test C, three cups of coffee were given with the wrong brand labels, the result showed that participants tend to choose coffee according to the brand name as 60% of the NC buyers chose MH which was labeled with a NC label. The three test results indicate that brand affects consumers decisions and which is supported by Olins (2000) and Keller (1998). Olins (2000) suggests that brand helps people to differentiate products from different sellers. Besides, Keller (1998) suggests that brand is an external aspect of product and it can affect the purchase or consumption procedure. Besides, the participants were asked if they were satisfied with the NC before and after the blind taste tests, Over 40% of the participants were satisfied with NC. However, after the blind taste tests, the number of satisfied people decreased and there was 13% of participants dissatisfied with the NC. From the results, we can see that the participants were influenced by the blind test and there are some other factors may affect our preferences. As we mentioned in the literature review, consumers will buy the product again if they are satisfied with the product (Foxall, 1980). From the results, we can see that the brand influences consumer buying decisions a lot. From the data in Table 4 .9, there were 63% of participants chose Taste as the most influential. However, nobody voted brand as the most important factor. Compared that to the results obtained in the blind taste tests, in which brand had a strong influence in consumers decisions, there is a contradiction. The inconsistency shows that people do not understand what influences their behavior very well. Conclusion Recommendations The result obtained from the tests and the questionnaire is not consistent in some way. If the answers from participants are truly reflecting their preferences, the obtained result should be consistent. So we should not trust the result given from the research and we should be critical in reading other research data in the future. Furthermore, if it is feasible, we may observe their actual buying behavior after trying the blind taste tests over a period of time in order to get an accurate result. Conclusion In this research, we carry out three blind taste tests and find out that participants tended to choose coffee according to the brand name. 60% of one of the instant coffee brand supporters chose another brand of coffee which is wrongly labeled as their favorite coffee brand by me. Surprisingly, 80% of them do not choose their favorite coffee brand in another test when the labels are gone. The only factor which affects their decisions if the labels are gone is the taste of the coffee. In other words, taste is the only reason for their choices if no labels are provided. The result tells us that without knowing the brand name, their buying decisions are different when comparing with knowing the brand name. The result shows us that brand had a strong influence in consumers decisions. I conduct a questionnaire immediately after the blind taste tests. The statistical result shows that taste is the most important factor affecting their buying decision while price, brand, and influenced by advertisement come second, third and fourth respectively. The data gives us an idea that beside brand and taste, there are many factors should be considered in making the buying decision. References Allison, R. I., Uhl, K. P. (1964). Influence of beer brand identification on taste perception. Journal of Marketing Research, 1, pp. 36-9. Armstrong, G.., Kotler, P. (1999). Marketing: an introduction (5nd ed.). Upper Saddle River. NJ: Prentice Hall. Bayley, R. (1989). Commerce and culture. London: Design Museum. Blackwell, R. D., Miniard, P. W., Engel, J. F. (2001). Consumer behavior (9th Ed.). Ohio: Thomson Learning. Biel, A. L. (1993). Converting image into equity in brand equity. In D. A. Aaker A. L. Biel (Eds.), Brand equity advertising: Advertisings role in building strong brands (pp. 67-82). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Dowling, G. (2001). Creating corporate reputations. Oxford: University Press. East, R. (1997). Consumer behavior: Advances and applications in marketing. New York : Prentice Hall. Fournier, S. (1994). A consum er-brand relationship framework for strategic brand management. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Florida. Foxall, G. R. (1980). Consumer behavior: a practical guide. New York: Wiley. Henley centre (1989, March 5). Planning for social change. Design Week ,31. Homer, P. M., Yoon, S. (1992). Message framing and the interrelationship among ad-based feelings, affect, and cognition. Journal of Advertising, 211, 19-33. Keller, K. L. (1998). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity. NJ: Prentice Hall Keon, J. W. (1983). Product positioning: TRINODAL mapping of brand images, ad images and consumer preference. Journal of Marketing Research, 20, 380-392. Levine, M. (2003). A branded world. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. MacKenzie, S. B., Lutz, R. J., Belch, G. E. (1986). The role of attitude toward the ad as a mediator of advertising effectiveness: a test of competing explanations. Journal of Marketing Research, 23, pp.130-143. Makens, J. C. (1961). Effect of brand preference on consumers perceived taste of turkey meat. Journal of Applied Psychology, August 1961. Mittal, V., Kamakura, W. A. (2001). Satisfaction, repurchase intent, and repurchase behavior: Investigating the moderating effect of customer characteristics. Journal of Marketing Research, 38, pp. 131-42. Ogilvy, D. (1983). Ogilvy on advertising. London: Pan Books. Olins, W. (2000). How brands are taking over the corporation. In M. Schultz, M. J. Hatch, M. H. Larsen (Eds.). The expressive organization: Liking identity, reputation, and the corporate brand. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Randall, G. (1997). Branding. London: Kogan Page White, B. (2000). Dissertation skills for business and management students. London : Cassell, 2000.

Schooling in the Outback Essay -- Australia, government, education

Australia is split into different states and territories that have their own government. These territories include the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. This is important to note because each individual state government manages the schools within its territory (Immi.Gov). They provide both the regulations and funding to both the public and private schools, though the government only provides the public schooling and private schools are offered by Churches and other groups (Immi.Gov). Some of the biggest differences between our US School system and the Australian system is how the school operates on the inside. Most of the schools throughout Australia enforce either a uniform code or a dress code, and most attendees bring their own lunches to school, although food can be purchased at the canteen - or cafeteria, in our terms (Working-In Australia.com). According to my friend Graham, the in school hours are generally the same as hours, starting at 8 AM and ending at 3 PM. The school term for Australia is also very different from our own. Where the US school duration is nine months, from September through May, the Australian school year is from January through December with four school terms in all (Working-In Australia.com). However, the school system makes up for this through having two and three week breaks periodically, once in April, July, and October. the longest break spans about a month and a half, and occurs during Christmas time (Working-In Australia.com). Schooling for children can start when they are around three years of age. At this time they can be enrolled in Preschool, though it is not required that children ... ... Martin, Peter. â€Å"Education System given a Fail.† SMH. Federal Politics, 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/education-system-given-a-fail-20120820-24io3.html O’Farrell, Johanna. â€Å"Splashing Cash won’t fix Australia’s broken education system.† TheAge. Comment, 21 Dec. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. http://www.theage.com.au/comment/splashing-cash-wont-fix-australias-broken-education-system-2013 â€Å"What is the Australian Education System?† Immi. Australian Government, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014. http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/settle-in-australia/everyday-life/education/whatis.htm Soilemetzidis, Ioannis. â€Å"Higher Education in Australia: an Interview.† AngeloHigher. Angelo Higher 2.2 (2010): 12-20. Accessed through Web. 03, Mar. 2014. http://www.anglohigher.com/magazines/magazine_detail/47/251220-2zqpl.html

Howard Stern :: essays research papers

Goodbye Good Programming When one thinks of original, successful radio shows in the U.S., one show definitely comes to mind, Howard Stern. The Howard Stern morning radio show has been the most successful radio show on the radio for some time now. Howard Stern created a show unlike any other; it is a morning radio show that has it all. The show has interviews with famous people, listeners can call in to the show with there opinions, current news, and most notably its sexual content and controversial opinions on what is happening in the world we live in. The show has always pushed the limits of freedom of speech while at the same time opened new doors and ideas within the limits. Currently in our country this show has become under fire by our government and is very close to being taken off the airwaves. This is just one show that is in jeopardy of being taken off the air.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Recently our government through its administrative agency for communications, the FCC, has decided to send a message to the corporate media to clean up their broadcasts. The FCC defines indecency as: 1. An average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest. 2. The material must depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable law. 3. The material, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. The fine for broadcast indecency has been raised to $275,000.00 from $27,500.00 per instance. The problem that has arisen from this new interest in cleaning up broadcasts to protect the general public from being exposed to this indecency is that some of our best programming is in jeopardy. There are some huge corporations behind this programming such as Time Warner, Viacomm, Clear Channel, etc. these corporations are becoming concerned that the government is starting to focus attention on how big they have become and how much power they have to control the media.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately, because of this new motivation to control our programming to the FCC?fs liking one avenue of our freedom of speech is being taken away from us. The public programming we currently have is perfectly acceptable and almost to conservative. It?fs not like we have one TV or radio station that everyone is forced to watch. If you don?ft like what your watching or listening to you can just change the channel or turn it off.

The Economic Botany of Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen :: Botany

The Economic Botany of Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen America is well versed in the use of a byproduct of the plant Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen, yet few people are aware of this product's history. Chewing gum has its origins in the economic botany of the Chicle tree (M. zapota). Throughout Mexico and Central America, the Sapotaceae plant family is recognized for its latex. Manilkara zapota (synonym: Achras zapota L.) is an evergreen canopy tree of medium size (15-30 meters in height) native to Central America, which is currently cultivated throughout the tropics of the world (Castner, Timme, & Duke, 1998). The Sapotaceae (Soapberry family) belongs to the Ebenales order along with the Ebenaceae, Styracaceae, Lissocarpacee, and Symplocaceae according to the Cronquist system of plant classification (Jones & Luchsinger, 1986). Historically, M. zapta was an important source of timber and latex in the new world tropics (Janzen, 1983). The latex is a milk-white exudate produced in laticifer canals under the phloem bark surface (Simpson & Ogorzaly, 1995). The latex is known as chicle, which had its highest demand during the rubber boom of tropical America in the 1800's. When the United States and Great Brittain established Rubber tree (Hevea spp.) plantations in southeast Asia in 1876, the rubber boom occurred in tropical America. Economies were left helpless and Indian rubber collectors were massacred (Hill, 1996; Stanfield, 1998). The Chicle tree (synonyms: Sapodilla, Naseberry, Nispero) was the lone latex plant to economically survive. The Mayan Indians of Mexico and Central America traditionally have chewed the raw chicle latex. Furthermore, Aztec prostitutes loudly snapped their chewing gum to advertise their trade during the height of pre-Columbian Aztec civilization (Plotkin, 1993). This custom was common to many Mexicans, including an eccentric political leader from Veracruz. He is Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, eleven time president of Mexico (born 1794, died 1876). His military prowess is capped by success at the battle of the Alamo (1836), where Santa Anna's troops killed Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie (Simpson & Ogorzaly, 1995). His eccentric political ways got him exiled to the West Indies. The U. S. Secretary of State, William Seward, payed Santa Anna a visit in the West Indies. Assuming he gained Seward's trust, Santa Anna sailed to New York in 1866. Santa Anna's shipmates stole his money, leaving him stranded in America where Santa Anna was turned away by Secretary of State Seward. The exiled Mexican president was a wise businessman and politician who brought some chicle with him to New York.

Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America

Adolph Reed is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and Stephen Steinberg is a professor of sociology at Queens College in New York City. Both Reed and Steinberg challenge the tendency of policy makers and other commentators to focus on African-Americans as the source of the problems faced by New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and emphasize the need to address race and poverty concerns effectively. In Reed and Steinbergs argument they expose the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy. The supposed goal of the program is to â€Å"break up the concentrations of poverty, to break up the federal enclaves of poverty which existed in the city and to really give those low income residents more choice and opportunity. † Reed and Steinberg look at the â€Å"moving to opportunity†policy as a false theory and an empty slogan. When the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy is stripped of all its varnish it is just a program that will result in a â€Å"smaller† New Orleans that is depleted of its poverty population. Despite the 200 plus signatories of well known individuals in American social science, the secret agenda of the program was evidently overshadowed. Reed and Steinberg state how the federal Government is solely focusing on the drug dealers and gang members of the ghettos and poverty struck neighborhoods overlooking the industrious single mothers and infamous heroic grandmothers that also stay in those same communities; leaving a majority of them to fend for themselves. Reed and Steinberg provide information that show the true colors of the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy. Providing quotes from citizens in powerful positions. A politically connected white lawyer in the city remarked that Katrina provided the perfect opportunity to rebuild New Orleans into a city much like Charleston. Keep in mind that Charleston has only ample black servant class for its tourist economy but a white electoral majority. Which leads to another point made by Reed and Steinberg, if the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy is passed and everything pans out as planned than Louisiana will than be a Republican state. And somehow out of all the evident flaws in the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy the 200 plus signatories failed to realize them or at least recognize them. Reed and Steinberg did a wonderful job in supporting their clause, it would have been a tad bit better if they had included another example other than the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy. Shelby Steele is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and political commentator argues that the African-Americans of New Orleans and other African-Americans should focus on meaningful methods for overcoming their underdevelopment as revealed by Hurricane Katrina rather than emphasizing the shame of White racism as the cause of their phlight. Steele states the single greatest problem in America is African-Americans and Whites are forever blaming one another for each others great shames. Steele expresses her opinion of how this despair is not something that was just formulated among the poverty stricken but a feeling that has always been there, harvesting below the surface of our culture. A state of being in which is just now in the new millennium being discovered. Black inferiority can not be overcame by white responsibility. Blacks most also take responsibility for the change they want to see. Steele is saying each race is equally at guilt and how much of a shame it is that it takes a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina for the nation to take notice of this social issue. Steele had a good thesis, the idea just needed more detail and elaboration. Vincetta Ashley Dunnell November 18, 2010 5:30 P. M On that note my personal opinion lies with Reed and Steinberg in that I do believe Hurricane Katrina exposed racism in America. How could a force of nature have racial preferences and prejudice? It can't. It just so happened that Hurricane Katrina was the perfect excuse to play the racial blame game. It was a great reason to release years of built of racial tension. And the perfect opportunity to push low class,poverty stricken blacks out of a infamous city because of racial stigmas. The federal government is using the â€Å"moving to opportunity† policy as a coverup to deceive the public into accepting the policy as a beneficial program but failing to truthful tell who the policy is benefiting. Somehow this terrible scheme slipped by the eyes of 200 plus prominent individuals of the American social science community. They failed to recognize that if this policy is passed yes there will be no gang patrolled, drug infested New Orleans but there will also be no essence in New Orleans, all the history and pride will be wiped away. All the kind-hearted, working Blacks just attempting to make a better day for their families will be left in a worse position than they began in. All for the sake of America trying to perceive the ideal of a perfect nation; thinking that they can sweep all the dirt under the rug, forgetting that when you do so the lump of dirt is still there. Ignoring the problem that our nation has forever had is not going to help any. Trying to push the low class blacks out of New Orleans just to build suburbs and tourist attractions will help the economy but the social status will not change. While poverty still exists so does the main problem in America. Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America? Did Hurricane Katrina Expose Racism in America? (A Case Study) Before beginning this case study, Hurricane Katrina was a force of nature that ravaged the city of New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005 leaving thousands of African Americans homeless and impoverished. Assuming the affirmative position of the debate in question is Adolph Reed and Stephen Steinberg. They argue that Hurricane Katrina did, in fact expose racism in America. They want to emphasize the need to address race and poverty concerns and focus more on blacks.Opposing them is Shelby Steele. He believes that blacks should begin focusing more on ways to overcome their underdevelopment instead of blaming whites for their predicament. Reed and Steinberg begin their argument with a quoted statement from Barbara Bush. â€Å"So many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them. † This quote already shows the attitude of white America towards the situation of those suffering at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.They also mention the â€Å"Move to Opportunity† program that basically only addresses a miniscule percentage of the poverty stricken homeless GIVEN if they were qualified. Needless to say the majority of them did not participate in this program; as a result, they were to fend for themselves. The extent of white racism was best illustrated by the signing of a government-sponsored resettlement program by 200-plus of the nation’s most renowned social science names.This program is a classified by Reed and Steinberg as a â€Å"relocation scheme† disguised as a voluntary program designed to remove impoverished and unemployed blacks out of the area in attempts to blot out some of the nation’s more darker areas. â€Å"Move to Opportunity became a perverse euphemism for policy abdication of the poor people left behind who are in desperate need of programs, services, and jobs. † Steele dispels the ac cusation placed on Hurricane Katrina in regards to exposing racism in America by sourcing the cause in blacks themselves.Steele explains that whites have in a sense, owned up to their responsibilities and made themselves witness to racism. That we as blacks blame our inferiority on white racism therefore increasing white shame. Subsequently, for whites to admit that black inferiority is a product of white shame, they are admitting racism. Steele advocates that both races, especially blacks accept responsibility for their shames as each race constantly tries to usurp power from the other. We are attributing our underdevelopment to whites in order to shame them instead of claiming responsibility for our own progress or lack thereof.The progression of blacks in America is undermined by the constant irresponsibility of the race as a whole. From things to not taking care of our children to crimes, we essentially placed ourselves into this predicament. We are not living up to our end of t he bargain. Black responsibility needs to be acknowledged by us in order for us to progress. Were we to do this, our open acknowledgment of our own underdevelopment will allow whites to hold witness over us; however they will have to acknowledge our overcoming of our underdevelopment.In a nutshell Steele is saying we must hold ourselves accountable for our own underdevelopment and by doing so we can finally achieve the long awaited progression that we have been looking for. After evaluating both sides of the debate, I chose to identify with Shelby Steele’s argument. Not only does his argument directly answer the question, it allows for more personal questioning among blacks. Are we really using whites as a clutch as to why we have not progressed? Is it more of clutch or more of an innate bitterness between blacks and whites that has developed and evolved over centuries of conflict?Blacks have been at the bottom of the totem pole of society for centuries by the hands of whites . Although I believe that whites in fact do impede black progression in society due to concealed racism among other things, I do not agree however that it is entirely their fault. Both races are in a power struggle; straining to take control and to make the other look inferior. It is this childish nature of these two races that halt the progression of our country as a whole. When both races accept responsibility for their shames then proper progress can be possible.Until then, racism will always be a factor of white shame and inferiority will always be a factor of black shame. I believe that Hurricane Katrina played a part in exposing racism. I feel as if Hurricane Katrina forced racism out into the open. No white person would have expressed any racist concerns prior to Katrina. Katrina basically served as a mental agent for white America, effectively expressing their attitudes towards black America. Also, I believe that if the majority of the population ravaged by Katrina were whit e they would have been rescued almost immediately if not sooner.The painstakingly long response time to the crisis was evidently showed the amount of concern and sympathy the government had for the blacks of New Orleans. Racism is still alive they are just concealing it. Thousands of blacks in New Orleans depended on the government to rescue them from a travesty that they could not control. And additionally the government attempted to relocate the survivors of the incident to remove the poor blacks and replace the area with whites. This illustrated the true intentions of the government.The strife that exists between whites and blacks are so low-key that it takes an act of God to bring it out of the shadows. There is no doubt that racism is still alive in America; however the extent of racism has definitely lessened over time. I chose to side with Steele’s argument because I identify with the argument that blacks and whites have a complex that won’t allow them to accept responsibility for their shames. If it were not for Hurricane Katrina, racism may have never been brought into the light.

Samsung Yemen Lcd Tv & Its Accessories

SAMPLE MARKETING PLAN FOR SAMSUNG 3D TV â€Å"Inspire the world, create the future. † 1. 0 Executive Summary Samsung Electronics has proven to the business world that they are one of the most prestigious technology companies in the industry. With more technology advancements than our market can handle at this point and time, Samsung has paved the way for the future in electronics. One of the most popular new â€Å"toys† in the market today, is the unbelievable 3D TV. The first 3D TV was launched in March of 2010, and has already had a major impact on the market.Samsung dominated the market, controlling nearly90% of the total share. Samsung’s  product, the 9000 series TV, is  incomparable to competition with its ultra-thin screen, measuring only 0. 3 inches in width. The 9000 series also comes with a full color spectrum that makes for an  incredible viewing experience. 2. 0 Situation Analysis Samsung’s current strategy in the 3D television market is t o seize a dominant market share while the market is being pioneered and to maintain the majority market share throughout the stages of the 3D television life cycle.With the recent release of 3DTVs into the market in early 2010, the product is still considered to be in the introduction stage of the product life cycle. While Samsung introduced its  new slogan, â€Å"Inspire the world, Create the Future,† the company's strongest emphasis in the last two years has been on convergence and  integration. Samsung has re-organized their  corporation to encourage cross-pollination and innovation. This is demonstrated by the progressive approach to the market that Samsung has taken, acknowledging the lack of immediate growth in the market, and innovating to prepare for the potential growth in the market.Targeted Segment With the development of 3D TV technology, Samsung’s target market is easily identified as the Early  Adapter. An early adapter is a  consumer who has a very quick rate of diffusion, the rate at which the market accepts a new product or product idea. One Strategy Analytics Survey identified â€Å"Cube Tubers† as the most likely consumers of  products available in the 3D  TV market. â€Å"Cube Tubers,† are twice as likely to express interest in receiving 3D TV  programming at home. These consumers represent a  rather small eight-ten percent of the overall  population.They are most likely  young, mid-twenties to late thirties Caucasian males,  educated and married. They seem to be the  most likely candidates to show interest in buying the newest generation of the television market. Along with the â€Å"Cube Tubers,† the broader target market tends to be families with young children. The target audience for 3D TVs will mostly be  found in or near  bigger cities. These locations must be  considered the prime market areas due to the likelihood of the availability of 3D content in urban areas rat her than away from cities in the more technologically  constrained rural areas. Competitive Analysis . Sony cooperation 2. Mitsubishi Inc. 3 . Panasonic Inc. 4 . LG Electronics Inc. 5 Vizio Inc. 1 Sony Corporation Sony is a Japanese company that uses web advertising as a dominant feature. They offer different videos and PDF documents on their websites to help customers understand their business. When typing into Google,  Sony does not come up  first, however, Best Buy was one of  the leaders, who sell  Sony TV’s. Sony finds itself in the top five of the market share of the previous trends of the television market, usually in the top three until recently being bumped down to fifth recently in the FPTV market. Mitsubishi Inc. Mitsubishi Inc. is also a Japanese company  with a Very broad product mix, and a marketing theory that anything is possible. They Aim to release their 3D TVs mainly through private company sales rather than in nationally acclaimed retail stores like most brands. Mitsubishi has continued to  use and perfect DLP technology, created by Texas Instruments, while Samsung has moved on from DLP and has released some beautiful Plasma, LCD and LED  3D TVs.Mitsubishi’s difference is  in its picture quality,  although DLP offers great picture quality the technology has many drawbacks such as bulb replacement and interior cleaning to maintain picture quality that hinder consumers from buying their product. Mitsubishi is the most recent follower of trends by recently adopting the Smart TV  idea and integrating Internet  connectivity into the unit. .3 Panasonic Inc. Panasonic, another Japanese company, is another competitor finding its way to the top three market shares in the TV market.Panasonic aims to be  the No. 1 Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry by 2018, the 100th anniversary of their  founding. After Samsung initiated an unexpected price war with Panasonic  at the opening of the 3D mark et, they announced an expectancy to miss sales targets for the first year. Demonstrating Samsung’s sound knowledge of good pricing strategies keeping competitors on edge. Panasonic’s premier 3D product differs in  the backlight composition, opting to use plasma for the  opening of the 3D market. LG Electronics Inc.LG Electronics is a Korean company. LG Electronics Inc. , ranking as the world's second-largest maker of flat-screen TVs,  said it aims to strengthen its presence in the burgeoning 3D TV market, seeking to grab a share larger than its target for the liquid-crystal display (LCD) TV market. LG is eyeing 25  percent of the global 3D  TV market this year, which amounts to 950,000 sales based on an annual market forecast of 3. 8million units. That compares with LG's 15  percent market share target for  LCD TVs, or  25 million units. LG had focused on the  mass market.Initially LG’s objective  was to create footprint among the sizable mid dle class, and other than its aggressive pricing, little to  distinguish it from  other consumer durable companies. 5 Vizio Inc. Vizio is a market share leader in the industry, but its claim to success is in its ability to follow  technology and market trends. Vizio’s vision is to be the industry leader  in consumer electronics by consistently delivering the latest technologies at the most affordable price. Vizio has developed cost efficient production methods that allow them to undermine the quality of the products slightly and the price for what they sell at  significantly.SWOT Analysis Strength A. High Quality Innovative Products – Brand Prestige Samsung’s 3D TV market products lead the  industry as they have pioneered the launch of the  new market segment in  early 2010. Samsung’s LED TV product line has earned the prestige of the best picture quality available in the market by Consumer Electronics Reports. Those very products are  a lso leading the  way in innovation in the way of style and appeal to consumers, as Samsung released the 9000Series, which is the  thinnest 3D TV available at  . 31 inches.Samsung is a strong corporate brand known  for its quality products and  advanced technology use. The brand prestige that Samsung looks to carry over from the LED, LCD  and Plasma markets, hoping consumers will easily identify the brand and associate it with it high quality products from an organization dedicated to providing  market leading products. B. Availability of Resources Samsung recently transferred 300 engineers from their very prominent semiconductor business unit within the organization, and established a new television business unit.The relocation of these engineers has  allowed SE to develop market products far beyond the technology and innovative capacity of competitors. C. Constant Focus on R;D Samsung Electronic has been regularly strengthening its research and developments (R;D) fu nction. The company devotes significant resources and attention to develop consumer-preferred  products with innovative and distinctive features. It is evident from the fact that, the company invested approximately 5. 0% of its revenue in R;D activities  over 2008 and 2009. 2 WeaknessesA. Lack of Association with 3D Gaming Content Unlike SE’s competitor Sony, Samsung does not have a direct association with content provider for 3D gaming. Acknowledging that the 3D gaming segment will account for a substantial market share, one could infer Sony’s association with gaming consoles like PlayStation as  a competitive advantage over Samsung. B. High Quality, High Price Understanding SE prides itself on having very high quality products, one can infer that SE can  justifiably charge the highest price for those renowned products.To maintain a dominant market share as the market for 3D TVs expands, SE’s establish target consumer will  have to expand. With the  target consumer established economically as the upper level of the middle class and all levels of the upper class currently, the target will have to expand to incorporate all members of the middle class. 3 Opportunities A. Strategic alliances that enhance the company’s product offerings Samsung Electronics has entered into strategic agreements with some of the well-known companies of the world in the recent past.For instance, during June 2009,the company signed a patent cross license agreement with Toshiba for semiconductor  technologies. Toshiba is the leading player in the NAND flash memory market with thousands of patens under its  name. Toshiba is also in the forefront of innovations in this product category with several new technologies under its credit. By signing the cross licensing patent agreement with Toshiba, Samsung Electronics continues to have access to important NAND flash process technology as well as multi level cell flash memory design IP relevant for f uture NAND flash generations.B. Partnership to access 3D gaming content Establishing a partnership with a company in the video game industry would be ideal to increase the amount of 3D gaming content. Although this segment of  the market is currently minimal, the surplus of content could influence consumers so that the segment could increase. A partnership with a company  like Microsoft could have an impact on the market  greatly. The timing of this opportunity would be immediately, the sooner the partnership begins, and the sooner the content could be produced, presenting an opportunity  for the market  to expand. . Threats A. 3D Gaming Market – Sony The fact that Sony offers the PlayStation gaming console, they have a foot in the door with the consumers who have interest in 3D gaming, which could potentially represent a significant share of the market. Sony’s PlayStation is the first gaming console to launch 3D gaming  content. This relationship between t he two products allows Sony to sell both products together at a discount offering not only a product to view 3D content, but also a gaming console with abilities that allow consumers to play3D games.