What were the motivations of war in Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What were the motivations of war in Iraq - Essay Example The motivation of the war on Iraq includes political, economic and social factors. Nonetheless, it is notable that later, the war faced a lot of resistance and opposition even from the Americans themselves. This is due to the negative consequences or implications of the war on the Iraq people, Americans and the two economies. This essay gives a critical analysis and discussion on US war on Iraq with a view of arguing that the motivation for the war was not justified. In 2003, the Bush administration argued that Iraq was a security threat to the US. This was based on assertions that Iraq had links with Al Qaeda terrorist group. This was translated to mean that Iraq was a terrorist threat to the American people (Sirin 254). On the other hand it is argued that Bush failed to prove the link between terrorists and Iraq (McHugh 458). In justifying the war, the Bush administration pointed out that there was a connection between the masterminds of the September 11 terror attacks and Saddam H ussein, the then Iraqi leader (Coe 307). Nonetheless it is further argued that there is no evidence to support this connection (McHugh 459). The connection was related to postulates that Saddam was actively manufacturing weapons of mass murder. It was further predicted that there was a likelihood that these weapons would fall into the hands of the Al Qaeda group of terrorists (Fisher and Nigel 688). ... Analysis of these assertions only act to disclose that the issue of nuclear threat from Iraq was not an honest justification for the war. Moreover, it has been argued that the US administration was aware that military action was not the best strategy of fighting terror and yet went ahead to declare war against Iraq (Miller 53). The risks that the Iraq war was associated with such as recruitment of terrorists and nuclear weapons falling in the hands of terrorists act to further demonstrate that the justification of the Bush government were not adequate to lead into war (Biggar 30). America’s commitment to fight terrorism was revealed by the Bush administration which budgeted for $1 billion for the sake of funding the operations of CIA within Iraq (Miller 57). A story published by Newsweek titles â€Å"The Salvador Option† described the plans of the pentagon to legitimate death squads that were aimed at countering any resistance to the US’s occupation in Iraq (Blan ka 287). The publication disclosed that the Bush administration deemed the Sunni population as supports of terrorists and as a result they had to pay a price (Coe 320). It is because of this that the US invasion of Iraq has been described as a dirty war which was not based on unreliable evidence that the Sunni population had any support for terrorist groups (Davies 438). Opponents of the Iraq war point out that the Bush administration targeted Iraq civilians rather than the actual terrorists and resistance fighters (Biggar 34). It is in this sense therefore that the war against Iraq was not justified. The connection that was said to exist between Saddam and terrorists includes Abu Nidal and terrorist organizations (Blanka 280). The Bush administration asserted

Theories of Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Theories of Management - Essay Example All the way through, they must work out responsible leadership. Management’s work is to â€Å"fit† out of the many situations faced by organizations and prepare activity plans to resolve organizational troubles. But less understood is the reality that management must carry out more than supervision what already exists. They must also make new products and services and even re-create the organization from time to time. A significant fraction of management is creative work driven by innovative knowledge and information. Information technology can offer a powerful responsibility in redirecting and redesigning the organization. It is important to note that managerial roles and decisions diverge at diverse stages of the organization (Kenneth 1999, p.11). Through out the pervious few decades, in the whole world, the business area has sought to ascertain its environmental classification by putting together ecological and public impartiality matters addicted to its business str ategy plans and application. Food sector is mainly obvious right through farming and foodstuff structures, where foodstuff processors and vendors come into the view using communication of the lessons to be drained from the enlargement of the organic food division. The enlargement of organic food sector manufacturing has guided the business area to tackle the variety of conduct and to dissimilar scale green subjects in determining the course of this growth. For a number of business actors, the pressure of ‘green’ fears have been obvious in small and additional than terms of concern and declarations of intention, which are planned to cover present indefensible application. For others, in difference, it is imitate in the foodstuff manufacturing systems in conduct that hold up the manufacture of natural food, the expansion of ecological codes of application and other plans which stand for a innovative strategy trend (Lyons

Employee Wellbeing in a Prison Workplace

Employee Wellbeing in a Prison Workplace Aims and Objectives With specific reference to the research question, that of: ‘Does the impact of organisational change and a Transformed Workplace affect the Health Well-being of employee’s within a Prison Workplace Environment?’ Key to the development of the Aims Objectives is the evaluation of similar research (Bamford and Daniel, 2007; Hyde et al, 2005; Van Stolk et al, 2009) conducted within a similar Government Department that has also been subjected to workplace transformation (new ways of working; Hyde et al, 2005). In this instance the Government department was that of the NHS (National Health Service). Also the use of research that assesses the impact of the workplace upon an individual’s well-being, which includes 2 case studies that have researched wellbeing within the workplace (Danna Griffin, 1999; Harter et al, 2002) In making use of such literature, evaluate whether or not and to what degree it either supports or contradict the research question. AIM: To assess how and to what extent (positive or negative) the managed change and transformed workplace has affected employee’s health and wellbeing and to assist in the development of baseline data for further analysis and evaluation in regards to the efficacy of targeted wellbeing interventions. OBJECTIVES. Review literature in regards to ‘New ways of working’ and organisational change (Both the NHS NOMS) and its impact on health and well-being. To determine the survey model content. Develop, implement and analyse a staff health and wellbeing survey tool based on objective. Survey undertaken using survey monkey / paper, complete anonymity, distributed across all staff. 2 principal pay-band groups within the organisation, that of paybands 1-4 and 5-10 to ensure anonymity, and in the use of incident data, such as organisational sickness absence data. Identify if the impact of the transformed Workplace regimes has affected absence. All absence data will be provided by HR and will be anonymous and generalised by specific factors prior to inclusion in the study, i.e. type of absence or organisational demography (operational and non operational staff). Permission for use of the data has been given. Methodology Survey: Background The aim of this research and the Health and Wellbeing survey is to identify and understand the respondent’s perceptions as a consequence of the transition to and impact of the â€Å"Our New Way†, the new operating model adopted by the NOMS agency, as part of the strategic plan to create a modern cost efficient publically owned prison service. To better understand this transition, and also as part of literature review, a review was completed of similar research of another government organisation that had completed a similar transition, that of the NHS (Hyde et al, 2005; Van Stolk et al, 2009). Making the use of tools such case studies that have looked into the impact upon well-being within the workplace (Danna Griffin, 1999; Harter et al, 2002; Van Stolk et al, 2009); the methodology used in research (Thirlaway et al, 2012) at Cardiff Metropolitan University and also the Survey development model developed by RAND(Europe) (Van Stolk et al, 2009 p. 3) will assist in the development, piloting and analysis of a survey tool. Survey: Aim The aim of this survey is, as part of the evaluation of the consequences of organisational change was to provide a question set, based upon the new operating model ‘our new way’. Furthermore, based upon responses to questions posed, perform an analysis of the responses in regards to their physical and mental health and well-being, during and post transition to the new operating model. Using a structured model of questions, that of the ‘Likert 5-point Scale’ that ranges from strongly Agree to Strongly disagree, this will enable the research to gauge perception both positive and negative in regards to an individuals’ wellbeing following a period of sustained change and transformation. Survey: Structure The design and format of this survey was set out to gauge the views and perceptions of the Prison Service Staff, both generally and specifically in relation to the workplace, the transition to the new operating model. The Survey comprises and is composed of 3 specific elements; Element 1: Demographic Data Element 2: Questions Exploring the impact of the ‘new way’ of working, managing and delivering; on the employee’s physical and mental well-being and also engagement and communication Element 3: An open-ended question exploring additional perceptions and feelings from staff that have experienced the transition to ‘our new way’. Element 1: Demographic Data Element 1 provides demographic data, that of personal information (i.e. Age gender pay-band), providing evidence that the responders, are both anonymous and a ‘cross-section’ of employee’s within the organisation Element 2: Exploring the impact of the new operating model; ‘Our New Way’ Element 2 seeks to determine respondents response in regards to the new ways of: Working, Managing and Delivering (Independent Variables) and how following the transition to a new operating model, how the transition has impacted upon not only an employee’s, physical and mental well-being, but also the impact upon organisational engagement (Dependent Variables) (Figure 04; below). (Figure 04: Survey question breakdown based upon Dependent Variables) Element 3: Opened ended question to explore respondent feelings and perceptions of the transition to the new operating model Element 3 seeks to determine respondents response through an open ended question, to explore and evaluate how the transition to the new operating model, has affected each specific respondent and has impacted upon their Physical and Mental Health and Well-being. Survey: Development Making use of the method and model developed by RAND (Europe) (Van Stolk et al, 2009) the survey was designed, working in conjunction with both Cardiff Metropolitan University; NOMS: H.R. Directorate and also Stakeholders within the Prison Service at HMP Exeter, up to and including the Governing Governor; using 5 specific stages; from the inter-partnership creation of the prototype survey models, to the initial tests, through to the Survey deployment, completion and analysis (Figure 05 below). Survey Stage 1: The successful creation of the Health and Well-being Survey was as a result of working in close partnership with Cardiff Metropolitan University, the NOMS Human Resources’ Directorate and also with Senior Management Organisational Stakeholders from both NOMS and also HMP Exeter. The creation of question a set was based upon the framework of transformation, the delivery model and documents of the new operating model; â€Å"Our New Way†. This included specific and directed approaches in the creating of the questions posed. It was essential that the questions were concise and simple to understand, to make them complex to understand, could lead to erroneous responses due to limited or misunderstanding of the question. From this perspective the experience from both NOMS Human Resource Directorate and Cardiff Metropolitan University was essential. Survey Stage 2: Partnership Survey Review This stage, involved testing the questions, for at this stage it was essential to ensure that through an ongoing process that the survey questions were neither too complicated, nor too vague. Key to this approach was open, consistent advice and guidance upon how the questions could be interpreted and would be understood. Survey Stage 3: Limited Pilot Test The aim of this stage was to undertake a limited implementation pilot test of the survey, to ensure that not only that the responders would understand the questions posed, but also to test the hyperlink access the survey. The design, hyperlink accessibility and the analysis of the results, was undertaken by the NOMS H.R. directorate, via Survey-monkey. In terms of the launch vehicle it was identified that, the initial launch would be within a single establishment within the NOMS organisation that we would be able to make use of a global email as a platform from which the links to the survey could be used. Furthermore the option of the internal Intranet was also considered, if as an avenue of further research, the Survey was to be deployed within all of the establishments within the NOMS agency. Survey Stage 4: Launch and Deployment of the Health and Well-being Survey Following the successful controlled test of the completed survey model, that included the survey access via the launch vehicle, that of the global email platform. The email was sent to all staff within the single survey area, that is a single establishment, that of HMP Exeter. To facilitate manage, monitor and control the survey, a single partner, (the NOMS H.R. Directorate) managed the survey tool following its successful launch. This included keeping the partners informed as to the level of responders that had accessed the survey throughout the duration of the Survey period. Having a single point of management of the survey also enabled us to deal with effectively any unforeseen technical issues, if required. Survey: Duration The Survey was launched via a Global Email platform on 27th January 2014, and closed at Midnight on 16th February 2014. Survey: Eligibility Criteria The eligibility criteria for the completion of the Survey will be those that are directly employed by the HM Prison Service, specifically employed at HMP Exeter, and fall within 2 specific pay-band groups, that of pay band 1-4 and pay band 5-10. Which reflect those employed that have some management role and duties (pay band 5-10) and those that undertake roles and responsibilities that deal with offenders either directly or indirectly. The sample size is approx 260 staff members, with an anticipated response rate of approximately 25%, which will ensure that we have a broad sample across the organisation. Survey: Completion This Survey Model in the determining the impact of â€Å"New Ways of Working† (Dependent Variables) upon physical, mental well-being and organisational Engagement and would take approx 20 minutes to complete. Results At the closure of the Survey Completion window, 86 respondents had completed the Survey, a number that represented approximately 20% of the directly employed workforce within a Single site; HMP Exeter. Though only a small sample group; as a representative group, given the ‘demographic’ questions posed (Age, Gender, Length of Service, Pay-band) it is considered, to be sufficient to provide an accurate analysis. To illustrate how the number of respondents are considered to be ‘representative’, Figures 06–Fig 09 (below) provides not only details of the demographic data of the respondents, but also in regards to this data how they compare to the same demographics within the Establishment as a whole

Jan Eyre :: essays research papers

Throughout the novel, Jane struggles to find the right balance between moral duty and earthly pleasure, between obligation to her spirit and attention to her body. She encounters three main religious figures: Mr. Brocklehurst, Helen Burns, and St. John Rivers. Each represents a model of religion that Jane ultimately rejects as she forms her own ideas about faith and principle, and their practical consequences. Mr. Brocklehurst illustrates the dangers and hypocrisies that Charlotte Brontà « perceived in the nineteenth-century Evangelical movement. Mr. Brocklehurst adopts the rhetoric of Evangelicalism when he claims to be purging his students of pride, but his method of subjecting them to various privations and humiliations, like when he orders that the naturally curly hair of one of Jane’s classmates be cut so as to lie straight, is entirely un-Christian. Of course, Brocklehurst’s proscriptions are difficult to follow, and his hypocritical support of his own luxuriously wealthy family at the expense of the Lowood students shows Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s wariness of the Evangelical movement. Helen Burns’s meek and forbearing mode of Christianity, on the other hand, is too passive for Jane to adopt as her own, although she loves and admires Helen for it. Many chapters later, St. John Rivers provides another model of Christian behavior. His is a Christianity of ambition, glory, and extreme self-importance. St. John urges Jane to sacrifice her emotional deeds for the fulfillment of her moral duty, offering her a way of life that would require her to be disloyal to her own self. Although Jane ends up rejecting all three models of religion, she does not abandon morality, spiritualism, or a belief in a Christian God. When her wedding is interrupted, she prays to God for solace (Chapter 26). As she wanders the heath, poor and starving, she puts her survival in the hands of God (Chapter 28). She strongly objects to Rochester’s lustful immorality, and she refuses to consider living with him while church and state still deem him married to another woman. Even so, Jane can barely bring herself to leave the only love she has ever known.

Impact of Digital Marketing on Sales Essay

Embracing emerging trends and technologies helps marketers create a sustainable competitive advantage for their business. Emerging marketing trends and technology, such as big data, social media mobile, context-aware computing and the Internet of Things, create unprecedented opportunities to engage customers, fuel growth and take market share. As a digital marketer, you can be overwhelmed by how quickly new technologies become mainstream. A Facebook yesterday is a Pinterest today and a socially enabled, real-time, mobile personal assistant tomorrow. The objective of this paper is to look at the impact digital marketing has on sales especially in emerging markets. The major aspects of digital marketing that would be covered are as mentioned below: Digital Marketing Essentials Multichannel Marketing Data-Driven Marketing Mobile Marketing Monetized Digital Marketing through Commerce Social Marketing Evaluating the impact of digital strategy: Evaluation of the ‘true impact’ of the digital marketing strategy & spend, is a multi-phase journey. It could be broken down into five distinct phases: Datawarehousing & Reporting Dashboarding Statistical Analysis Predictive Analysis Optimization The research paper analyzes the current situation with respect to developing countries in the digital environment. It would also study the â€Å"digital divide† and the differential pattern of developing and least developed countries in take-up of the new technologies, the changing nature and demographics of Internet use as well as the role of innovation and creativity in making digital marketing a success. The Evolution of Digital Marketing in Developing markets The Digital Divide Access & Participation in the Digital Economy Opportunities & Challenges The paper studies and analyzes the influence on the 4Ps of Marketing by the onset of the Digital Revolution and the dominance of accessible information through the Internet. It has changed the way consumers spend their money and the way they shop for products and seek services. Like the Industrial Revolution, today’s Digital Revolution has changed the ways in which people live their daily lives and the manners in which companies practice business. In marketing, strategy has greatly shifted away from material and into more liquid avenues and flexible ways of reaching consumers. Because people have altered their spending habits, so too have marketers changed the ways of reaching their customers and creating products focused on the new needs of the consumer today. Advertisement and sales have shifted away from tangible methods of reaching people such as print ads and newspaper and into digitized networks that offer to target a larger audience at a fraction of the cost. The impact of the Digital Revolution on marketing cannot be ignored as indeed, it has completely changed the industry in a way never previously conceived. INTRODUCTION: â€Å"The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow† -Bill Gates Emerging markets are countries experiencing relatively recent industrial, political and technological change resulting in rapid economic growth. Emerging markets cover more than the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), however; these countries are amongst the buoyant emerging giants. Large populations generally characterise these markets, as is obvious with China and India. They tend to be dominated by young populations and rising middle classes. As business revenues plateau in saturated, developed markets, expansion into emerging markets is a popular means for reaching new growth targets. Although these countries are affected by the global recession, many remain in robust growth positions. The endeavour of international business involves uncertainty and risk, however; this can be mitigated by the internet. How the Global Digital Era and Emerging Market Growth is Transforming the Marketing Agenda? Senior executives in developing economies, working in organizations, small and large, are asking the following questions: How can we get ahead of competitors in emerging markets? How can our business mitigate risks when we enter risky, high-growth emerging markets? How can we measure marketing activities and sales-related results in these markets? The increasing mobility of the consumer is a good development for any business. Marketing to a constantly on-the-go consumer is like trying to hit a moving target. Direct digital marketing is an addressable marketing method where relevant marketing communications are delivered to individuals through the e-mail, Web, and mobile channels using an e-mail address, a Web browser cookie, and a mobile phone number. The principles of direct digital marketing—addressability, message relevance, and personalization—are ideal for restaurant marketers and their customers. Leveraging the full value of direct digital marketing requires going beyond the tried and true e-mail marketing strategies that have been used for the last 10 years and building a strong relationship with a consumer at each touch-point they value.

Impact of Television Violence on Children Essay

Watching violence on television can have many affects on all age groups. I decided to write about the affects of television violence upon child development. Violence on television is one of the most common media influences in children these days. There are many reasons how television violence affects children, such as how much television they watch, their age and personality, and also whether they watch television alone or with adults. It also matters if their parents talk with them about the violence they see on TV. In order for parents to protect their children from the harmful effects of violence on television, it is essential to know what the impact of television violence can be on children. Violence can play an important role in the development of children; it may cause some to perceive it and not get affected and some may be affected by it in a very dangerous way like the columbine incident. There has been studies done over the past and hundreds of studies have examined how violent programming on TV affects children and young people. A study from a psychological research showed three major effects of watching television â€Å"Psychological research has shown three major effects of seeing violence on television: Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, Children may be more fearful of the world around them, Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others† (http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/violence.html). Children can be vulnerable to violent images and messages. Children in particular can become victims of violence on T.V. than adults; which can cause them to be afraid of the world and people they are surrounded. The most common T.V. shows that affects children of all ages, which is close to real life violence is cartoons. In most of the cartoon shows violence is exposed as humorous and realistic conclusions of violence; which could cause children to show aggressive behavior towards their peers and others. Usually these types of shows do not show the consequences of violence, which doesn’t teach children that acting or enacting violence they can face jail time and other penalties for juvenile offenders in the court of law. According to a study on preschoolers at Pennsylvania State University, â€Å"Children who watched the violent shows were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and were less willing to wait for things than those children who  watched nonviolent programs† (http://helping.apa.org/family/kidtvviol.html). Parents should pay close attention to what their children see on television like shows, news, movies and commercials. Studies have shown that kids are more afraid of violence in news coverage than in any other media content. As children get older and are better able to tell the difference between fantasy and reality then they would have a better understanding of real news events and the purpose of such graphic footage. Effects o n a healthy child development, television can affect learning and school performance. If watching television cuts into the time children need for activities, which is crucial to healthy mental and physical development as well. Children’s free time should be surrounded by time spent in activities such as playing sports, reading books, explore nature such as learning about plants and flowers instead of watching T.V.; which can lead to obesity which is a serious concern today. According to researchers, they concluded that viewers feel an instant sense of relaxation when viewers begin to watch TV and also said that feeling disappears as soon as the television set is turned off; which I personally feel is true. The feeling is not similar to the thrilled feeling a person gets from playing sports. For example, after watching TV, viewers may mentally feel tired and feel a sense of low energy. Parents should investigate on different studies that are conducted to understand different messages that violence on television sends to its audiences. Violence is portrayed in many ways it can be acted out by characters such as a hero or by a villain. Different types of violent scenes can be shown clearly in depth or it maybe left to the viewers imagination; for example, imagination allows a viewer to come up with his/her own conclusion to how a certain murder may have occurred, which represents a type of television violence shown by a network. In conclusion, Parents have to speak to their children about the different shows that are viewed by their children to avoid misinterpretation of violence and aggressive behavior that could lead them to become criminals. Parents should take an initiative on the issue, â€Å"While most scientists are convinced that children can learn aggressive behavior from television, they also point out that parents have tremendous power to moderate that influence† (http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/violence.html). Parents should  discuss violence in the news such as war and acts of terrorism need to be put into a more detailed and descriptive context for children. They should also explain different acts of violence and criminal activities to de-sensationalize, so the children don’t become fearful of the world. By talking to kids about violence in the media they can critically understand television, movies, music, and video games that can help them put media violence into perspective by not taking the full impact of violence mentally. They can start to judge the media violence and start to examine its use in the media that they tend to watch. The children also need to be addressed on how the actors of a show feel in real life about the part they played in a particular show. By expressing these issues out in the open the children can get a better perspective on why violence on television is potrayed and why people are attracted to it. They would understand that producers and directors create violence on television because it gives a certain network ratings; they would also understand that larger amount of audiences want their programming to be more entertaining with action and the network also creates such and atmosphere of violence through advertising to a younger audiences. Self Identity of children should not form from watching television because that can cause them to be like someone from TV rather than themselves; opinions of others form our social identity, in this case children perceive the television as social identity and become a TV character in real life as if the TV is set’s the standard of who you are. Becoming a character from watching television is subjectivity. Consciousness and the unconsciousness as well as emotions are part of our sense of who we are in this case children can come up with their own conclusion on who they are for example, a violent character such as a hero, a criminal, or a Psychopath that they might become from watching violence on television. Children need to understand, what violence is. After better understanding of violence they can then start to put media violence into perspective. http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/violence.html http://www.apa.org/monitor/may03/childhood.html http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ntvs.htm http://helping.apa.org/family/kidtvviol.html http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4100.htm

Categorical Imperative Command essays

Categorical Imperative Command essays Categorical Imperative commands state an act only on that maxim which you can at the same time will to a universal law. In other words an act that should be followed only if people will follow it. If you jumped off a bridge, think if everyone would do the same and it would become socially accepted. It states an interesting point if you think many of todays and the past legislature was in fact developed this way. Toss the people an idea and see if they follow it through time changing it to better accommodate the people and the views at the time. The bible was established based on the Ten Commandments a bunch of thoughts on how life should be lived by a form of rule structure in plain view. The people took on these rules and passed them on to eventually adapt to what's right. So when deciding most decisions one would think if the world would follow and if it would form into a solid ethic. The problem is every social structure from New Jersey to California from South America to Africa runs on a very different structure. Therefore, who is to say witch groups methods are the right ones to do. In Japan, it is customary to take off one's shoes when eating and in India the cow is sacred. Rules are developed differently as wide of a range as through a country or perhaps a county or even as small as a So how do you differentiate everyone's actions to dissect and arrive to the final answer of what is right. In addition, this rule does not seem to focus on what is right at all but what is socially accepted. In world war two, it was accepted to ridicule Jews everyone around you did it but did it make it right. It follows the rule to do what you think everyone around would do. So there are flaws within the rule that if one would follow it could lead to disaster depending on who exactly you are modeling after. One thing human's do from birth is follow or model after others. Wheth...

What Are Extracurricular Activities and Why Do You Need Them

What Are Extracurricular Activities and Why Do You Need Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may have heard that extracurriculars are an important part of your high school life. You've probably been bombarded with stories about how everyone who is successful in getting into college played a varsity sport and was student body president and built homes for the poor in Costa Rica. But do extracurriculars have to be so overwhelming? What are extracurricular activities, exactly? And just how important are they when it comes time to apply to college? Read on for a better understanding of this important topic. Your high school years are one of the best opportunities you will ever get to explore new activities, try different things, and see what you're passionate about. Inside the classroom and outside of it, you’ll start to get a better idea of who you are and what drives you. It may seem odd that colleges are going to be interested in how you choose to spend your free time. The reality is that, combined with your grades and test scores, extracurricular activities are one of the best ways that colleges will be able to get an idea of who you are. But what are they looking for? And are all activities equal? What Counts as an Extracurricular Activity? First, let’s talk about what an extracurricular activity looks like. The word â€Å"extracurricular† can be broken down into its roots for a literal explanation: â€Å"extra† means â€Å"outside† and â€Å"curricular† refers to all of the work you do in the classroom. So extracurricular activities are just activities that you do outside of class. The Common App says that extracurricular activities â€Å"include arts, athletics, clubs, employment, personal commitments, and other pursuits.† Almost anything that you are actively and productively involved in can be considered an extracurricular activity. We have created a list of around 200 activities that you could report on your application to help get you thinking about what you're interested in trying and what you might already have done. You may be familiar with some of the popular categories of extracurriculars already: Sports, which includes playing on a school sport team, an intramural team, or a club team outside of your school. Community Service, which includes any sort of volunteer work, either in your community, on a national scale, or abroad. Employment, including any jobs or internships. Arts, which includes visual arts, performing arts, comedy, culinary arts – this list is almost endless. Hobbies, such as blogging, a film club, hiking, Rubik’s Cube competitions, Cosplay, and more. Academic activities, such as math or science clubs or competitions, research, or writing. Keep in mind that colleges are really looking to see activitiesthat have somehow developed talents that you will use later in life, developed your leadership skills, allowed you to show involvement with your community, and allowed you to make an impact. Going to the movies every weekend with your friends doesn’t count. But starting a film club at school for fellow film aficionados definitely does count! There’s another important thing to note here. What if you didn’t have time for joining clubs or playing sports because you had to work to help support your family, or you spent your afternoons looking after your younger siblings? Admissions officers also want to hear about these kinds of activities. They understand that not all students have the luxury of pursuing traditional extracurricular activities, and they will think that the way you have spent your time is just as valuable. Try to reflect on what these experiences have taught you that will be valuable for college. For example, you probably have a lot of maturity and a good sense of responsibility for someone your age, and you're good at balancing school work with other commitments. If you’ve taken on a leadership position at work, that’s even better! Now you know what activities look like. But what do colleges think your summer job is really going to tell them about you? Why Colleges Like Students With Extracurricular Activities Colleges love to see that students are active, contributing members of their communities. Even more importantly, they love to see students who are developing their talents and passions. When a student is actively involved in the community and other activities in high school, there is a good chance that they will be doing something similar in college. Universities like to be known as hubs of activity, charity, and culture, and it’s largely the students that make them that way. But does that mean that you need to spend all your time doing something that is obviously impacting your community in a direct way, like volunteer work? Should you do something that doesn’t interest you, just because it will look good on your application? Fortunately, what college admissions officers want to see is very predictable. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. What Are Admissions Officers Looking For? Imagine you're an admissions officer at your university of choice. Every day during admissions season, you’ll go through at least a hundred applications. At the end of the day, you’re down to two applications. You need to recommend one for admission, and reject the other. Both students have high test scores (above 2100 on the SAT) and they each had a GPA of 3.8. On the activities page on the common app, Student A says that he was a member of the art club, and in the description says that the club is for students who are passionate about having a career involving art. He also volunteered once a month, teaching a one-hour art class at his old middle school. Student B is also in the art club at her school. In the description, she tells how she helped grow the club from 4 to 20 members, ran several charity projects through the club that raised over $5,000 for art programs for local youth, and arranged an informational event at a prominent art museum to help raise awareness of the importance of art in people’s lives. Which student do you think is most likely to be admitted? As it turns out, what you do is not nearly as important as why and how you are doing it. Admissions officers agree that when they're evaluating student activities, they care less about what the actual activity is and more about what it says about you. Specifically, they're looking for three things: passion, leadership, and impact. Passion Passion will manifest itself differently for different people, but college admissions officers usually notice it in the amount of time you've dedicated yourself to a certain activity over the years, and in how involved you've been in it. Are you just doing an activity so you have something to write on your college application, or are you doing it because you couldn’t not do it? This is something that matters a lot to college admissions officers who want to know that you're pursuing something because it's a passion. Try to find activities that you really care about, and that you feel makes you a more motivated, better person. Admissions officers like it when students are passionate about a certain activity because it means they are more likely to continue doing it in college, and also because these kinds of activities show who you are at your best. These activities will be the best indicators of how you act when motivated and dedicated to something. Leadership Leadership experience includes any time that you have been responsible for a project or for guiding, motivating, or instructing others. Many schools – especially the most highly selective ones – want to see students who exhibit leadership skills because they are hoping that their students will someday go on to be leaders who make differences on a larger scale in academia, business, or research. Therefore, showing that you have the desire and sense of responsibility that a leader needs can be very attractive to admissions officers. Taking a leadership role in an activity is really going to help you stand out from the crowd. Being the president of a school club will sound better than being a member of the same club. But obviously not all students can be president. So how do you solve this kind of issue? Even in you don’t have an official title, see if it’s possible to be involved as a leader in some way. Talk to the people in charge and see if you can organize an event or lead a fundraiser. Showing you have taken this kind of initiative will look much better than a title with no special activity to back it up. Impact How have you changed the activity that you have been involved in? How has the activity changed you? One of the reasons that passion is so important is because admission officers want to see that you have made a significant investment in an activity over an extended period of time. Though you’ll probably experiment with several different activities when you're younger, once you settle on the ones you're most passionate about, officers are going to be looking for how you've made a difference in the activity and how you've changed because of it. You may have heard that you should prioritizedepth over breadth, and this is why. It’s better to select a couple of activities that you can be deeply involved in than to spread yourself so thin that you can do little more than showing up to meetings. Why does impactmatter? Again, colleges are most interested in students who have the potential to be making positive differences on campus, and later, in the world. This kind of thing doesn’t come easily. It usually only happens when someone shows dedication, follow-through, and initiative. So what kind of person are you? Do you show up and expect someone else to make an activity fun? Or are you going to make sure that you leave your club, team, or research better than it was when you joined it? The Do’s and Don’ts of Extracurriculars: Key Tips Now you know what extracurricular activities are and why they are important, both for your personal development and for your college applications. Here are some tips for how you should approach extracurricular activities in high school. 1: Do try as many activities as possible during your freshman year of high school. Try out between 5 and 10 activities depending on how much room you have in your schedule (remember, never let your academics suffer because of too many activities!). There is a good chance that you will discover something new that you had never thought would interest you. Let this be your year of exploration! 2: Do narrow down your extracurricular list to 3 – 5 activities you care most about during your sophomore year. Remember the three most important things are passion, leadership, and impact. Continue to develop your interest in these activities and see if you can take on leadership roles, even if it’s just on small projects. 3: Do focus more on leadership and impact during your junior and senior years. If you have been a part of a club, how can you change it for the better? Also spend time reflecting on how you've changed over the past years, and how your activities have helped you grow as a person. 4: Do let your activities tell your story. Are you very passionate and talented in one area? Or do you show different skills and aspects of your personality through a variety of different activities? Either one is a story that a college admissions officer will be interested in hearing. Also think about how your activities have shown your growth over the years, from experimenting with an activity, to dedicating yourself to it and developing passion, and finally taking on a leadership position and making an impact. 5: Don’t slack during summers. If you have the luxury of doing activities during your summer vacation instead of working, make the most of that time. Try to think of innovative ways to pursue your passion that you can’t necessarily do when tied down with school work. 6: Don’t let your grades suffer. Though extracurriculars are an important part of a college application, they will almost never cancel out bad grades and test scores. If you find that your grades are suffering, cut back on the time you spend on your activities, and make sure that the time you do invest in your activities is well spent making the most impact in the least amount of time. 7: Don't get burned out. It's a good idea to limit your activities a couple you are most passionate about, and a few others that are fun but not stressful. If you try to do everything, you will inevitably get burned out, which could ruin your grades, social life, and excitement about going to college. What’s Next? Do you need some inspiration? Check out our long list of extracurricular activities to see if there’s anything that interests you. Are you wondering if you should try traditional extracurriculars, or if you would be better off getting a job? Check out the pros and cons. If you have a great list of extracurriculars and are ready to fill out college applications, check out our guide for talking about extracurriculars on the Common App. Want to know what else is important on the college application? Check out our guide to making a well-rounded college application that will get you into as many schools as possible. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

7 effective strategies for college students

7 Effective Strategies For College Students You Are Finally on Your Own- Be Safe Graduation is over and you are headed to college. A world that begins your transition from young adult, to adulthood. For many this is an exciting time. Time to be on your own and make your own choices. While it is going to be great not to have your mom walk in on you while you are doing God knows what, and to not have your dad looming by while you are talking on the phone with friends, becoming an adult comes with responsibility. Yeah, that word again. You will be running into that word the rest of your life, and then you will be passing it on to your kids one day. Before you settle into the daily grind of college life, and write essay number one, take time to go over these important steps that may keep you responsible and safe enough to finish college. Choose Friends Wisely Everyone wants to be liked, and you had protection at home when your parents could watch over you, and get on your nerves about what friends you chose. Everyone that smiles is not a friend, and many of your college mates may not be those that you would want around if you are there to gain that degree. Partying is one thing, but overdoing it is another. Be the one that knows how to say â€Å"no†, it is a word that will come in handy. Secure Your Belongings Laptops, phones, IPods, these are costly and your parents are not going to want to keep sending you these things if they are lost or stolen. You do not want to have to work hard and have to buy them over and over again either. Invest in an engraving tool and computing system locks, there are many online that are inexpensive. E-mail Your Professors This is so important. Let them know that you are happy to be coming to their classes or even ask for  college essay help. Nurturing a relationship with them is going to be valuable as you move from semester to semester. They have been at the college for many years, well some of them, and they know what you need to succeed. Some will even lay out your entire path for you, advising what classes to take now, and which ones to wait to take. Save Money If you have millions of dollars you can skip this one. Most of us don’t have the privilege of parents with fat bank accounts to send money to us every month, so be thrifty. You don’t have to have 100-dollar tennis shoes to look your best, and ramen noodles taste good when the right veggies are added to them. There are books to be bought, and they are expensive, so rent them. Used books are okay too, as a matter of fact, the notes in them from other students that came before you can be priceless. Although you may have to buy essays online from the  best college essay writing service  if you are behind in your schedule, don’t make a habit of it. Saved money can go towards much needed copy costs and travel fares. Bike or Walk Campuses can be huge, and so can the bus fare to get around them in bigger cities. Get a good bike or walk, not only will you be healthier, you will save a ton of money. Try to get Your Syllabus Early Many professors will gladly send it if you ask for it when you email them and introduce yourself. This is a great way to get to the bookstore before the rush in the first week of school. Utilize the Study Lab The less wear and tear you put on your personal computer or laptop, the better. The computer study lab and college library are there for your use and the extra icing on the cake is that it is usually very quiet and you can study effectively. This wasn’t the normal how to get your studying done guide you may have been looking for, however, print this out and put it on the back of your door to your dorm room, or on your mirror. After you are practical about how to live your life on campus, the rest will be easier to handle. Those talks that your parents gave you before leaving home were not to nag you, but were to keep you safe. Don’t forget to call them, they miss you more than you could ever know, and you know you miss them too.

What happens after we die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What happens after we die - Essay Example In the modern times, people became interested with its occurrence that they applied science to test about the life after death. Some peer-reviewed studies had found such memories in children but they remained non-conclusive because no tests were sufficient to measure it.It was even doubted greatly by skeptic scientists. The life after death seems to be hard to be proven. It may or may not exist. Some naturalists may just say that life will just cease once biological death approaches and consciousness will fade too. It only means that the concept of the soul is even under debate if it truly exists or not. Personally, I may think of the concept of life after death as subjective because various people have different notions regarding it. It is still not proven by science until now. For the paper regarding the life after death, the focus would be on the work of Joseph Pieper, the author of Leisure: The Basis of Culture. Pieper was a philosopher from Germany who was the primary proponent of the New Thomistic wave as a philosophy since he is part of the Catholic Church. Joseph Pieper learned various fields in social science from sociology to philosophy from popular universities. He had worked as a writer and sociologist until he pursued being a professor in the University of Munster where he also studied. His perspective was influenced greatly by the ways of Thomas Aquinas together with the ideologies of the Greek philosopher Plato. In the first chapter which is entitled The Philosophical Act, Pieper was very philosophical. The meaning was so deep in the chapter where he talked about the common good and the common need (Pieper 78). He might want to tell something about how philosophy can cause disturbance but it was left to the reader to identify what kind of disturbance did Pieper want to convey to the readers. Probably he tried to connect the philosophy of common good and common needs as people go for the utilitarian world filled with work to satisfy the needs to s urvive. I can see his point regarding the philosophy that he promotes. Nowadays consumer culture is prevalent and sometimes it goes beyond the necessity. As a result, crimes increase, imbalance in nature is observed and destruction of the environment is noticeable and all of them happen in the name of greed. People live on the outside world and I may not say that I am not part of it. Sometimes being too busy with the supply and demand, people become accustomed to the materialistic world where all that matters is the functional basis of living and things are compartmentalized. Probably Pieper did not say that it is bad to engage in such a world or system but he wanted to also point out the importance of the oneness or the unity of people despite of differences. It is even linked to the practice of spending the seventh day of the week as a break from work and worship God. For him, it is also an essential component in life that even transcends beyond the common needs which the utilitar ian world provides. It only shows that the common need is a subset of the common good because the latter is more complex which requires something beyond the physical and material needs. December 1, 2012: Leisure: The Basis of Culture Chapters One and Two Another thing that Pieper pointed out was the definition of leisure. Sometimes culture had dictated what leisure is but actually the roots of leisure is seen when people are at work. They are busy. He also pointed out that leisure should involve not just the mechanistic or functional way of doing things without having time for rest or not serious activities. Sometimes work becomes not so engaging and people just do what they are doing for the sake of doing it. It is in contrast with what Pieper had said that work can be leisure if people have the time to reflect or contemplate. He pushed the idea of having enjoyment and appreciation on what is being done. Personally, the writer of the reaction paper thinks of it as an art

In Doctor Strangelove, there was a great deal of emphasis placed upon Essay

In Doctor Strangelove, there was a great deal of emphasis placed upon the - Essay Example In 1964, Herbert Marcuse introduced to the word his radical masterpiece entitled One-Dimensional Man. He unbolted an impressive question at the opening of his book in which he inquired about the irony of the very function of the atomic catastrophe; he stipulated that while the annihilation of humankind is imminent due to the escalating inventions of weapons of mass destruction, these warfare technologies are the primary protectors of the power that created the danger. Recently, Marcuse budged his attention from thermonuclear destruction into pop culture or the production of cultural representations which are largely shown in consumer products. Marcuse dedicated much of his thinking time in calculating the upshots of technological advancement today. He stalwartly judged that empires generated technological stratagems to finally liberate an individual from excruciating labor and lack of knowledge while at the same time making use of these technologies to outwit and even outlast them. T he dilemma of this new development is the very existence of agencies of cultural diffusion such as the media and the information machineries which supposed to be a guiding light towards functional responsiveness and yet serve to preserve the balance or status quo. The postmodern world which is characterized by the buying and selling of not only goods and services, but also in massive extent information, lay claim to people’s mind fabricating a nostalgia of self-sufficing exploitation. A one-dimensional man dwells in the contemporary world who is actually a pleased, innovative being but then devoid of the immaterial understanding of his universe which is in reality governed by discourse and action. He will become a mainstay in the comfort zone he weaved with the help of modern artifacts and will never take the possibility of dallying outside the mirage provided to

Intellectual Skills in Males and Females Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Intellectual Skills in Males and Females - Essay Example Past and current research confirms that male and female intellectual skill differences are best explained and caused by socialization, not genetics. In fact, the intellectual and Behavioural differences between the genders are not instilled at birth but are the result of society's expectations (Bates, 2007). In spite of the behavioural differences between boys and girls in their childhood, the differences become starker as they grow older. The reason for this increase in intellectual difference is exaggerated intellectual bias by society and the gendered culture. It is also worth noting that children do not inherit intellectual differences; rather, they learn these differences from society, depending on what society, community or family expects children of each gender to do or to be. Consequently, male children are observed to develop spatial skills faster than girls do. This occurrence is not innate superiority by males but arises from expectations and encouragement by society (Niki ta et al., 2010). For instance, many communities encourage boys to be strong while girls are expected to be overtly emotional and talkative. Hence, girls acquire verbal skills because of emphasis by teachers and parents. Although neuroscientists concur that girls begin speaking at an earlier age than boys do, the gap is quite tiny at childhood, contrary to the notion adopted by supporters of gender-based intellectual differences, which exaggerates this intellectual skill difference across the sexes.

Country Case Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Country Case Report - Research Paper Example With the support of the named institutions, governments can collectively come up with a balance in there social programs competition so as to encourage social innovation and confidence. Globalization does not need plain trade-offs between social protection and competition. The ability of the respective governments as well as global institutions to take on collective actions has so far been underestimated to the extent that politics of globalization has to be reviewed and refurbished. This applies to the North Korean politics of globalization which has been experiencing both ups and downs (Carlin and Joel 102). Considering the domestic political economy of North Korea, the leadership of the country has in the past been the greatest worry to its economic reforms. Its foreign policy has in many ways ended up on the wrong side of the international bodies and other countries. A good example is the nuclear issue that created a hostile international environment working against its internal reforms. However, this should not be an excuse for the country not to have better reforms in relation to globalization. The domestic dynamics have a bigger role to play. The politics and leaders of North Korea have openly returned to an approach that is more controlled to economic policy. The changes in these policies have had significant implications on the North Korean strategies and intentions of economic commitment. Economic inducements like the joining the international financial institutions, sanctions lifting or engaging in regional cooperation that are more –formalized have not really worked out as most stakeholders wished it could. The current regime is in favor of targeted transfers that are to the advantage of the leaders. The transfers involve; heavy shipments of oil, direct cash payments and food aids (Noland and Gordon 90). This form of globalization can be considered as being hyperglobalists. As the economy of North

DQ3_07 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ3_07 - Assignment Example began in 1948 and conducted among 5209 adult participants in Framingham, Massachusetts, has assisted to provide much of the now known knowledge in regard to heart disease. The Framingham Heart Study has proven as an outstanding work in regard to its scope, duration, and information. The study helped to provide understanding on the influence of lifestyle, environmental factors and inheritance on cardiac health. The study provided the origin of the term ‘risk factor’ (FHS, 2015). The study helped to identify major CVD risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and physical inactivity. Prior to the start of the study, medics had little knowledge in relation to the prevention of heart diseases. The study helped to show the necessity of weight management, a healthy diet, and regular exercise in preventing heart diseases. The study also assisted to reveal the differences in the risk of heart diseases between men and women. The study has expanded to encompass research on the role of genetics in contributing to

Major Controversies on Human Trafficking Research Paper

Major Controversies on Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the IOM (International Organization for Migration) approximated in 2006 that there were about one hundred and ninety one million (191M) immigrants in the globe. These people (immigrants) are often treated by the host countries as outsiders thus impacting on how they are treated. For instance, most of them are denied the rights and protection as citizens of the host country. This is inflamed by their status as outsiders. Immigrants are frequently exposed to various harms and forms of exploitation such as human trafficking and basic human rights violation conceived as a form of modern-day slavery. Trafficking of human is a representation of an extreme way of labor exploitation. Furthermore, it is regarded as one of the negative impacts of globalization. Trafficking supplies people for purposes of street begging, prostitution, marriage, adoption, domestic work, construction, agricultural work and armed conflicts among o thers which form part of exploitative services or labor. Exploiting individuals for labor purposes has generated a lot of profits for those individuals involved in the acts. According to Feingold, the approximate gained benefit is about$32billion yearly. As a result, human trafficking was defined as the worlds’ fastest expanding criminal industry by the United States of America Department of Health and Human Services. In comparison to enterprises that are illegal, trafficking comes second after drug trafficking. Moreover, it is linked to industries dealing with illegal arms due to its capability of generating dollars.

DQ3_07 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ3_07 - Assignment Example began in 1948 and conducted among 5209 adult participants in Framingham, Massachusetts, has assisted to provide much of the now known knowledge in regard to heart disease. The Framingham Heart Study has proven as an outstanding work in regard to its scope, duration, and information. The study helped to provide understanding on the influence of lifestyle, environmental factors and inheritance on cardiac health. The study provided the origin of the term ‘risk factor’ (FHS, 2015). The study helped to identify major CVD risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and physical inactivity. Prior to the start of the study, medics had little knowledge in relation to the prevention of heart diseases. The study helped to show the necessity of weight management, a healthy diet, and regular exercise in preventing heart diseases. The study also assisted to reveal the differences in the risk of heart diseases between men and women. The study has expanded to encompass research on the role of genetics in contributing to

Johnny Cupcakes Essay Example for Free

Johnny Cupcakes Essay Johnny Cupcakes is a multi-million dollar clothing brand. The brand was founded in 2001 by Johnny Earle. One of Johnnys acquired nicknames was Johnny cupcakes. He thought it would be funny to make a couple random shirts that said Johnny Cupcakes on them for the fun of it (Earle, 2012). After massive interest in these shirts, he decided to continue to make more and change up the designs. In 2001, Johnny stated, the band I was in, On Broken Wings, finally got signed to a record label and we began to tour full time (Earle, 2012). This opened up Johnny and his t-shirts to a larger crowd of customers in different parts of the country. This boosted the brands popularity and Johnny decided to quit the band and focus all of his time, effort, and attention on his t-shirts. Johnny ended up going to trade shows in Las Vegas and eventually ended up getting carried by shops in Japan, Europe, and Canada in addition to a few other US locations (Earle, 2012). Johnny had a turning point moment at that very same trade show later on that year. He realized people didnt like having the same things as others and that they enjoyed uniqueness. At this point Johnny made the decision to pull all his shirts from retail stores. Earle 2012 stated that he decided to make all of his t-shirts limited edition and exclusive, only selling them through his website and later on in his own retail stores. As the Johnny Cupcakes brand grew, Johnny opened up stores in Hull, MA; Boston, MA; Las Angeles, CA; and London, England. Johnny states that Above all, Ill continue to focus on enhancing my customers experiences through my stores, events, website, designs, and packaging. I will never ever sell my brand to investors for all the money in the world. I think youll find that things will only get more interesting from here (Earle, 2012). The Johnny Cupcakes brand to some can be described as streetwear. Hundreds, 2011 defines streetwear as a genre of contemporary apparel, united between sportswear and military looks, and is one that speaks to a spectrum of subcultures (skateboarding and hip-hop mostly). Some of Johnny Cupcakes major competitors are also streetwear brands such as Us Versus Them, Reason, Benny Gold, Situationormal, Flying Coffin, Clot, Diamond, Fuct, Alife, The Hundreds, A Bathing Ape, Supreme, and Rebel8 among others. These companies not only produce unique designs and clothing, they have a fan base, and what some might call a cult following. They represent more than just a t-shirt. They differentiate themselves by their designs, material, limited edition collections, and the customer experience. Johnny Cupcakes top products are his limited edition t-shirts, but the company also sells sweatshirts, hats and accessories. One of the things that make JC stand out is their packaging. The supplies the compan y needs and uses are not just clothing/accessory based, but just as important is their packaging. Johnny Cupcakes uses bakery style boxes with their cupcake and crossbones logo on it. The company also uses specially made tissue paper to wrap the bought goodies up in. The tissue paper is also marked with the JC logo. The are two major external factors that greatly influence Johnny Cupcakes as a company and those are the economy and trends. Since Johnny Cupcakes offers luxury items (those items that consumers dont need, but rather want), the economy can play a significant role in their profits. When times are tough, like in an economic recession, the majority of people watch their money more closely. These people may choose to only buy things out of necessity rather than splurge on things they want. Another big obstacle that JC has to stay on top of is the trends of their market. Clothing styles and designs come and go, therefore, Johnny Cupcakes needs to stay at the forefront of what their target market likes otherwise they could easily become extinct. One way JC battles these two external factors is making every shirt limited edition. The limited edition status gives the feel of exclusiveness. People not only crave exclusiveness, but will pay top dollar for it. Because theyre collectibles and not just apparel, customers are willing to pay $60 for a Johnny Cupcakes shirtand even stand in line for a new release like kids waiting for concert tickets (Spaeder 2007). This exclusiveness plays off of our cultures social classes. Most Americans want to be in a better social class. Exclusiveness is a trait that is common in the highest of classes. The limited edition shirts not only sets the standards for someones social status, but also keeps inventory at a low, making sure the products that are produced are sold. Having limited edition shirts erases much of the risks and fears of the changing trends of JCs market. Since there are only a handful of the shirts available, they are long gone before the design and style gets soggy. Also, this allows the company to be very flexible with the changing market. The two major internal factors that impact the organization are how they enhance the customer experience and their product packaging. These are two very important factors that help create the Johnny Cupcakes brand. They are part of the JC culture and without them, the brand wouldnt be what it is today. Part of the customer experience lies in JCs three retail store locations. Theyre set up just like bakeries, complete with glass display shelves, employees wearing aprons and the smell of vanilla frosting in the air (Spaeder 2001). During big releases or setting up weekend pop-up stores, Johnny himself will be there to greet and talk with everyone of the customers that walk through his store. This again is part of the experience and connection he wants his fans to feel when they think of the Johnny Cupcakes brand. Johnny thinks nice packaging sets an experience, a memory, or a safe-keeping that is sometimes just as important as the product itself. I’m a sucker for nice packaging (Earle, 2012). When conducting a SWOT analysis of Johnny Cupcakes, some of the companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats have already been discussed. JCs major strengths are the exclusiveness it personifies by selling limited edition shirts and the customer experience it provides. One of its major weaknesses is the fact that it only has three retail stores and an online store. If it were to grow (and being a multi-million dollar business it has the resources to do this) it could reach more of a customer base and increase not only its fan following, but its sales as well. A huge opportunity that Johnny Cupcakes has is the fact that it has done several successful collaborations with other companies including Nickelodeon and Hello Kitty, which expands its customer and fan base. As with all companies, a threat is competition. If JC can stay authentic to its audience then it will overcome the competition. As stated earlier, since JC is a luxury brand, the economy and trends are another threat. Listening to their market will definitely help subdue these threats. One of Johnny Cupcakes biggest resources and assets are its customers. Johnny Cupcakes has not only been able to acquire customers, but also fans and audiences (which is much more powerful). The reason the JC brand has been able to do this is because of the experience a customer gets when going into a store or a pop-up shop. When a customer sees their Johnny Cupcakes shirt they remember an experience they had when purchasing the shirt. I personally have two JC shirts (one was given as a gift so I dont have an experience to associate with that but my parents, who bought the shirt for me do). I do have a vivid recollection of an experience I had when purchasing my first Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt at a pop-up shop on Marthas Vineyard. There was a line of people waiting at a small bakery for it to open its doors. Everyone was unsure of what the t-shirts would look like because the designs had not yet been released. Not knowing what shirts will be sold definitely gives a little sense of excitement and surprise; and being excited about a brand goes a long way with customer loyalty. The waiting fans were given diner-like menus to see what shirts would be available. This definitely embodies the Johnny Cupcakes culture and experience. Once the doors were open to the bakery only a few people were allowed in at a time. This also gave the impression of exclusiveness. The limited edition shirts available were all Marthas Vineyard related. Not only is MV a huge tourist location, but being a resident of the island I had a sense of pride and being able to wear something relating to the island meant something to me, as I am sure it did to others, whether they were residents or tourists gaining a unique souvenir. After purchasing the shirt and leaving the bakery, I was greeting outside by Johnny Earle himself who not only took a picture with me, but also signed my shirt. My parents had a similar experience, telling me what a meaningful conversation they had with Johnny. Every time I pull out my JC t-shirt, I remember my unique experience of t-shirt buying. Johnny Cupcakes is a differentiation strategy user that sells an experience, along with his products. The way the business is run creates fans. JC leverages the companys resources, the customer experience, to create fans and a following of the brand. There are a handful of such loyal fans that fly out to all his releases to be able to experience them and not miss out on any product or show. JC, on a smaller scale, reminds me of the cult following of The Grateful Dead. Deadheads knew each show was unique and didnt want to miss out on any one of them. There are many Johnny Cupcakers who feel the same way. On March 24 of 2011, Johnny Cupcakes went international and opened up a store in London. Johnny had previously tested the waters in London by way of pop-up stores. His store in London was a huge hit, and he plans on a huge one-year celebration. Johnny opened up his store in London the same way he started is brand and opened up his other stores in the USA, with no investors, partnerships, or alliances. He started off small and threw his profits right back into his brand. One of the things Johnny Cupcakes prides itself on is not having to use investors or other companies to grow their brand. Part of this is what makes the brand who and what they are today. By staying authentic and listening to their market, Johnny Cupcakes will be continue to be successful in the years to come. With more years of success under his belt, Johnny may want to further exp and his brand in the global market. References Earle, J. (2012). Story. Retrieved from: http://www.johnnycupcakes.com Hundreds, B (2011). The 50 Greatest Streetwear Brands. Retrieved from: http://http://www.complex.com/style/2011/06/the-50-greatest-streetwear-brands Spaeder, K. (2007). By Popular Demand. Retrieved From: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/177912

SERVQUAL Model Summary and Evaluation

SERVQUAL Model Summary and Evaluation 1.1 Introduction Service quality has taken into consideration in providing and accomplishing customers satisfaction recently (Hishamuddin Fitri Abu Hasan, Azleen Ilias, Rahida Abd Rahman Mohd Zulkeflee Abd Razak, 2008). Besides, there is a very obvious trend towards a growing concern that customers satisfaction is one of the valuable assets in building up a brand image (Srivastava et al., 2001), so brand image is very crucial in service industry, by which this element is critical in influencing customers perceptions and thus their loyalty to a company. Simoes and Dibb (2001) stated that brand image plays an important role in service industry due to the strong brand image persuades customers with a sense of acceptance and trustfulness. Research finding based on Bloemer et al. (1997) and Jones et al. (2002) also pointed out that there is a direct relationship between service quality towards customers perceptions, which in turn contributes to the brand image of a product or company. Based on the findings from Parasuraman et al. (1994) and Zeithaml et al. (1996), service quality is directly related to customer satisfaction and loyalty and thus on brand image, by affecting customers perceived value (service quality à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ perceived value à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ customers satisfaction à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ customers loyalty à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ brand image of a company). At first, there will have a brief explanation pertaining to the principle of the SERVQUAL model in this literature review; by which the dependent variable and independent variables of this research will be discussed in detail, followed by the findings from the previous research and studies. Lastly, this literature review will be ended up with a conclusion. 1.2 Theory of SERVQUAL Model Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) developed service quality model which is named as SERVQUAL model or PZB model. They had conducted focus group interview in order to develop the first version of SERVQUAL model. They had created ten dimensions of the service quality by determining the similar criteria in the evaluation of customer. The ten dimensions of service quality included tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security and understanding. In this research, Parasuraman et al. (1985) stated that the overlapping among these ten dimensions of service quality maybe occurred and suggested that further research should be conducted. Therefore, SERVQUAL model was further developed and emerging the modified version of SERVQUAL model. In 1988, Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry had conducted an empirical study to measure the service quality towards the customers perceptions by using the ten dimensions as a basic structure. The results indicated that some variables in these ten dimensions were overlapped with each other. In the ten elements of service quality, tangibility, reliability and responsiveness remain constant while the remaining seven determinants were categorized into the last two dimensions which are assurance and empathy (Parasuraman et al., 1988). As a result, there are five service quality dimensions in the modified version of SERVQUAL model that affect customers satisfaction and thus brand image: Tangibility is related to the physical environment, facilities and the employees appearance. Reliability is the ability to carry out the services consistently and accurately. Responsiveness is the willingness of the employees in helping the customer to solve the problem. Assurance is the adequate knowledge that the employees possess and the ability of the employees in entrusting the confidence. Empathy is associated with the organization provide the caring and individualized attention to their customers. Buttle (1996) mentioned that SERVQUAL model is been used widely in measuring customers perceptions towards various types of services. Due to this reason, we are likely to choose SERVQUAL model to measure customers perceptions on brand image in our study. 1.3 Dependent variable 1.3.1 Brand image Service quality has significant effect on customers perceptual toward brand image, due to the statistics shown that strong brand image is needed to distinguish from competitors brands or products (Boltan and Drew 1991). At the same year of 1991, Schiffman and Kanuk also stated that customer will perceive brand that match and suit their images. As a result, service quality added value to customers by helping them differentiates the brand from competing brands. This means that customers perception of service quality is be associated brand image and customers are more likely to purchase the brand that provides the superior service quality. Keller (1993) supported the previous findings and stated that brand image is the customers perception that held in customer memory. Strong brand image is set in customers mind through their consumption experiences and their perceptions towards service quality provided by the product or company. In the year of 1996, Agarwal and Rao continued the study and mentioned that brand image is based on superior and favorable brand rooted in consumers memory. In 2003, Keller repeated the theory and reinforced that brand image refers to strong, positive and favorable brand association in memory which result in a positive effect, attitude and overall perceived quality. Holbrook and Batra (1987) stated that the perceive quality affect the brand loyalty and thus also influence the images of a brand. Meanwhile, service quality is clearly defined as the customers judgment about a brands excellence or superiority (Zeithaml, 1988; Aaker and Jacobson, 1994). Dobni and Zinkhan, (1990) assumed that brand image is refer to the reasoned and emotional perceptions consumers attach to specific brands. Zeithaml (1988) suggest that brand image is built through consumers consumption experiences with the excellence or favorable of service being provided. Therefore, the service quality perception is core dimension that help to create a high value of a strong brand image in which directly influences consumers purchase evaluation. According to Alba and Hutchinson (1987) and Walker et al. (1987), although brand image, brand attitude and service quality act independently, however, under some conditions, three of dimensions are interrelated with each other. Keller (1998) supported the brand image is multidimensional, by which it includes the attitude and behavior according to the brand and the perceived service quality. The process in order to develop a trusted brand image is based on the customers experiences towards the brand through both direct and indirect interaction with the brand (Keller, 1993 and Krishnan, 1996). Direct contact with brand involves usage; trial and satisfaction in consumption while indirect contact with brand involves advertising, word-of-mouth and brand reputation. In 1996, another researcher Meldan also mentioned the introduction of innovative products and services quality is to improve the positive perception of brand image. She supported the theories which were held by Park, Jaworski, Macinnis in 1996 and Fatt in 1997, by which they stated the service quality is very important in influence the image of a brand through the level of customers familiarity, experience and trust of a brand. Based on these theorie s, Aydin and Ozer (2005) concluded there is reciprocal relationship between both customers perceptions and brand image. There are five dimensions of brand image being identified by Aaker (1991) which included perceived service quality, brand awareness, brand association, brand asset and customer base. However, perceived of service quality have the most significant impact toward brand image among those five dimensions. Keller (1993) indicated that the service quality may improve brand image by enhancing customers loyalty and thus increasing the probability of brand choice as well as reducing the competitive marketing. Service quality can affect the brand image of particular products or companies directly and indirectly (Kirmani and Zeithml, 1993). The study held by Kirmani and Zeithml in 1993 shown that the dimensions of service quality tangibility, reliability and empathy are basic clues for in constructing a strong brand image (Bailey and Ball 2006). 1.4 Independent variables 1.4.1 Tangibility Tangibility is one of the dimensions in the SERVQUAL model. It can be defined as the physical evidence in the service industry (Parasuraman et al., 1988). It is the physical facilities and equipment, employees appearance, physical representations of services and the physical environment. Wakefield and Blodgett (1999) also mentioned that physical environment will significantly influence the customers perceptions towards brand image. Same theory goes to the size or the number of facilities and equipment provided by a company in judging customers perceptions (Umbach, 2002). One of the examples to support the dimension of tangibility can be seen in servicescape, by which it is the physical places where services are delivered (Chua, Mohhiddin Othman, Boo, Muhammad Shahrim Abdul Karim, and Sridar Ramachandran, 2009). It can be said that tangibility has a significant impact customers perceptions towards brand image. However, services is intangible, therefore, customers can only see and experience the tangible services provided by the company, such as the facilities and equipment, as well as the appearance of the employees. Those of the tangible services are known as clues (Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Berry, 1992). The clues are the capabilities of the company and the quality of the environment. Berry (1980) stated that the way of managing the tangibles services will directly affect customers satisfaction, due to the reason that those tangibles services are critical elements in shaping brand image. According to the research finding of Kayaman, R. and Arasli, H. (2007), there is a significant relationship between service quality and brand image. They were mentioning that tangibility is associated with the physical characteristics provided by the company. This variable serves as a key element by which it may be able to attract more and more customers and thus gain competitive advantage over the competitors. Besides, element of tangibility is able to deliver both direct and indirect result on brand image. As a result, most of the companies nowadays are likely to formulate and implement strategies that are useful in grabbing potential customers and maintaining current customers by using eye-catching physical structures and providing a unique and comfortable environment for the services delivered. 1.4.2 Responsiveness Another independent variable that will affect customer perceptions towards service quality is responsiveness. The meaning of responsiveness is the willingness to help the customers, to provide prompt and well service to the clients, problem resolution when the customers faced and complaint handling (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). Responsiveness should be expanded and this is because they believed that this variable is very important (Parasuraman et al, 1988). Previous studies suggest that the responsiveness is critical not only as a measure of service quality but can use as a best tool for uncovering areas of service quality strengths and weakness (Kettinger and Lee, 1997, 1999; Pitt, Watson, Kavan, 1995; Van Dyke et al., 1997). By knowing the strengths and weaknesses, the organization will enhance the service quality in order to increase the brand image in this competitive market (Bedi, 2010; Kassim and Abdullah, 2010; Kumar et al., 2010). Furthermore, good customer service is part of the responsiveness. Employees responsiveness takes customer service a step further (Lovelock, 1983). By using technology, including websites, email and telephone systems, it enables the customers to quickly get the information that they need is one of the aspect for responsiveness (Lovelock, 1983). It generally refers to being responsive to the service subscribers (Heeter, 1989). The employees also have to prepare the aptitude and desire to provide the customers with effective resolutions on the first contact whenever possible (GroÈnroos, 1982; Oliver, 1981). A high level of responsiveness, representing and expressing as a trust cue, can convey the trustworthiness to the customers (Corritore et al., 2003). There is a significant relationship between the service quality and customers perception on brand image (Moliner and sanchez, 2003). Attachment theory suggests that beyond knowing who or what a brand stands for, strong attachments only mean when the brand is responsive to the consumer needs. In fact, psychologists argue that responsiveness is one of the critical element that keep relationships is going (Bebko and Prokop, 1996). Employees should quickly respond to the customers request at the same time, eliminating all the unnecessary errors and cannot make the customers to spend lots of time to wait (Guseman, 1981; Levitt, 1981; Murray and Schlacter, 1990). A responsive brand fulfills consumers relevant needs or goals. The goals can be many and varied for depending on the consumer and the situation (McDougall and Snetsinger, 1990). They may include broad level needs, such as needs for status, stimulation, belongingness or individuality, all the way down to situation specific goals (Parasuraman et al., 1985, 1988; Zeithaml et al., 1990; 1993). Of course, being responsive means that there must be something in the product and the marketing behind it that creates the perception that the brand uniquely in order to achieve these needs and goals (Anderson and Zeithaml, 1984; Garvin, 1982; Tse and Wilton, 1988). Hence, it is crucial for all the employees to exhibit a courteous and friendly behavior when delivering services to the customers in order to increase their satisfaction towards the brand image (Firdaus Abdullah, Rosita Suhaimi, Gluma Saban Jamil Hamali, 2011). 1.4.3 Reliability According to Word Net, reliability indicated the trait of being dependable or reliable. Reliability indicates the employees are able to provide the services accurately, consistently and dependably (Parasuraman et al, 1988, LeBlanc Nguyen, 1997). In another way, reliability also means that the services are correctly performed and defined as the consistency of the services performance. Besides, reliability means the organization keeping their promises, trustworthiness toward the services quality of employees to avoid anything goes wrong. In product and service industry, it plays as a key component that will influence the customer behavior towards brand image and thus on their purchase intention. Therefore, different services that provided to the customers will bring different level of customer satisfaction based on the services provided by the product (Yuksel, 2001). Reliability is the driving force of the responsiveness of customers behavior (Antreas A. Spiros and Vlassis, 1999). It means that reliability of services is interrelated with the customers satisfaction and perception once the services are provided and performed (Antreas A. Spiros and Vlassis, 1999). It is associated with the services quality environment and delivery systems that work well with good quality of service which include staff attitude, knowledge and skill (Walker 1990). For example, it provides the service at the designated time. Parasuraman et al. (1991) predicted that reliability is concerned with the result of services as compared to other variables in SERVQUAL model. This theory is supported by Glaveli, Petridou, Liassides and Spathis (2006), by which they strengthened the element of reliability considers as the service providers ability to provide accurate and dependable services in which included items such as personnel training, interruption of service, absence of e rrors and punctuality. Berry et al. (1985) argued that reliability is the most important factor in guaranteeing both customers satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This assumed that managers and employees need to provide a reliable service and reduce unreliable service to the customers in order to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction. In 1990, Zeithaml et al. also held that service reliability is one the most significant variables in the SERVQUAL model. As a result, most of the organizations are likely to include the issues of reliability in setting their mission statement and the standard of services to be provided (Malhotra, Ulgado, Agarwal, Shainesd Wu, 2005). So, both employers and employees must aware to the importance of reliability and find ways to improve the reliability of services. Reliability is one of the important dimensions that will lead to customers satisfaction through customers perceptions and thus affect the image of the brand (Patrick, Karl J., John E. 1996). A consistent measure is needed when working out with employees so that services can be performed adequately. In addition, the frequently changing of work procedures will improve the service performance as well. Again, this ensures customers perceptions towards service quality and consequently building up a strong brand image towards a product or a company. The administration and examination of departments have provided the reliable and accurate services also known as the reliability services (Muhammed Ehsan Malik et al., 2010). It held true when the brand image of an organization which is associated with excellence reliability services is considered as one of the means to attract customers purchase intention through good brand image. The study from Parasuraman et al. (1991), Muhammed Ehsan Malik et al. (2010), Ham and Hayduk (2003) proved that reliability has the strongest impact on consumers judgment, as among the five determinants of services quality. This philosophy was again proved by Hishamuddin Fitri Abu Hassan et al. in the year of 2008. 1.4.4 Assurance Another dimension in SERVQUAL model is assurance. Assurance shows the knowledge that the employees posses and how the employees conveys the trust and confidence (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Assurance can also be known as the organization offers the credible and secure service to its customers (Donnelly, Wisniewski, Dalrymple Curry, 1995). Initially, according to the research findings of Parasuraman et al. (1985), there were ten dimensions that regrouped to the five dimensions of service quality. In those five dimensions, there are three original determinants which are tangibles, responsiveness and reliability while another two determinants were assurance and empathy which, were derived from the other seven dimensions of service quality. Assurance is derived from the competence, courtesy, credibility and security of the service. This is because those four dimensions have overlapped with each other and the new dimension of assurance is formed. According to the research findings of Aydin and Ozer (2005), there is a significant relationship between customers perception about service quality and brand image. They were mentioning that assurance has a significant positive impact on brand image. Employees give an expression of the service quality in customers eyes (GroÈnroos, 1994). It means employees give the customers the greatest concept of what the brand really is. Employees competence and abilities in delivering the service performance is also very important so that the customers know their roles and willingness in performing those services otherwise their inevitable frustration will destroy the brand image (Davies, 1996). Not only the actions or behaviors of employees but also the morale of employees influences the service quality and it will impact upon customers perception on the brand image accordingly (Schneider and Bowen, 1993). Besides, a strong brand image is a part of brand strength measurement model that based on how the customers putting trust on a particular brand over other competitors (Lassar et al., 1995). One of the high-level associations that consumers can accommodate a brand is credibility (Keller, 2003 b). The importance is also supported by another statement from Aakers study (1997) on the basic brand personality factor analysis, and she state that sincerity was the highest eigenvalue factor. In Olivers service quality theory (1980) states that the customers will judge that the service quality is low if the service performance does not meet or either exceed their expectations. Ultimately, customers are willing to commend the specific brand to other people when their perception of service quality is high (Parasuraman et al.s, 1988, 1991b). This is supported by the statement from cf. Keaveney (1995) that there is a positive correlation between high customers perception on brand image and word-of -mouth communication. In short, a strong brand not only increases the customers trust so that they are better in observing and understand the intangible but it also reduces customers perceived monetary, social and security risks Simoes and Dibb (2001). 1.4.5 Empathy Empathy is one of the dimensions which out of five dimensions of SERVQUAL model that is created and derived from the accessibility, communication and understanding. Parasuraman ct al., 1988 said that empathy is originate from approachability, communication and understandable in the ten dimension of service quality as well as the essential of caring given to the individual special attention and caring to the customers. Besides, approachable services that are provided by organization are also known as empathy to meet or identify the needs of specific customers (Donnelly et al., 1995). In order to improve the empathy in service quality, one of the approaches is by collecting the feedback from customers after they experienced the service performances (Soutar MeNeil, 1996). For psychology today, what is empathy and how its related to our livelihood? Empathy means the capability to be comprehensive to another peoples condition, point of view, feelings and perceptions. When we are facing or experiencing the feeling of empathy, then we are able to catch out someone internal feelings of empathy. Some people especially with mentally disorder, antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and so forth, they have intimate link with the ability to empathize. (Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, 2010). According to Bowman and Narayandas (2001), the value perceptions of loyal customers are normally related to empathy and sincerity due to they are devote for creating the sense of interactive fairness. Individualized attention offered by the organization to meet the customers need also consider as empathy (Salvador-Ferrer, 2010). Shoeb (2011) summarized that the willingness of organization in listening to what customers had said is the empathy services that organization has provided to individual pleasantly as well as concerned with the individual by treating them well and respecting them. It can be said that empathy services concerned with how the employees approach and behave towards the customers. Hanaysha et al. (2011) mentions that there is a moderately and optimistically relationship between the empathy and customers perception on brand image. There is another research shows that there is a significant relationship between the empathy with the satisfaction (Nawaz. et. al., 2011). It means that empathy reflects how does the organization treats and cares the individual by identify their needs and wants as everybody must be treated fairly by providing the same services. 1.5 Conclusion At first, we had proposed our title of The Impact of Service Quality towards Customer Perceptions on Brand Image. The purpose for our research is used to identify the new knowledge that have not done by the previous studies. The concept of the service quality and brand image had been review in this study. In this research, SERVQUAL model is used as the applications in our study. This model is essential in our study as our research framework is derived from this model. Based on the findings, we found out that five dimension of the modified version of service quality model have the strongly impact on brand image. Service quality has the strongly correlated with the brand image. This research study is to increase our understanding of service brand from the customers perspective. Moreover, it provides the people especially service marketers the understanding of the associations that may exist and how they impact on the brand image. By understanding these associations and the inherent ris ks associated with service procurement, they will be able to manage the brand strategies well and to make better branding decisions.