Saturday, August 31, 2019

Park – Creative Writing

Tiny pieces of broken green glass lay around the fencing, glistening in the sun, and litter and pink chewing gum stuck to the bin and gate. The smell of dog urine whiffs as the wind blows and every now and then a young mother shouts, â€Å"don't stand in that it's dirty!† A small fat child sits on his own, indulging in a huge ice cream, smothered with a dark brown chocolate source and sprinkles the colours of the rainbow. He wipes the ice cream from around his mouth with his grubby little hands, smearing mud across his face, another child kicks a ball at him and knocks his treat from his hands†¦A loud cry and the child's mother comes slowly plodding over, her huge waste bouncing from side to side. Whilst all the little kids play, thuggish looking teenagers barbarically kick bins over and shout at the top of their lungs in which are filled with smoke, holding beer cans and vodka bottles they run around like wild animals. All with their hoods up they intimidate not just the younger children, but their parents too, before the darkness arrives, the park is empty and only contains the youths who run riot care free. Sitting on the swings and pouring beer down the slide, one of the teens shout â€Å"old bill†! The rest of the thugs launch their alcohol into a nearby hedge and sit like nothings going on. As the odd looking policemen come nearer, one rather tall with beady little eyes and the other short and plump carrying his hat, the teens become anxious but don't show their fear. The policemen are suspicious and search four of the youths while the other five slowly walk away pretending they weren't there, the fat policeman's face screws up and he frowns as he pulls out a packet of cigarettes from the fourteen year old skin heads pocket, he slips them into a bag. â€Å"Oi they're mine† shouts the loud mouthed four foot boy. The policeman take down the kids names and tells them to clear off before they're arrested. The four teens that got searched look glumly at the floor and slowly walk away, looking back at the policemen, scowling viciously as if they don't have anything better to do. They're finally reunited with the other five hood rats that walked away; they all squabble like three year olds about why they walked away. All looking at each other in suspense, a fight breaks out. A bloody nose. A black eye. They never learn.

Friday, August 30, 2019

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

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Research Paper - Essay Example The laws that govern the sentences made towards the felons who commit drug related offenses include Three Strikes law and the Rockefeller Drug Laws. The Rockefeller laws were passed during a time that the government had declared war against drugs. Under this law, possession or sale of heroin, cannabis, and cocaine would call for a minimum of 15 years imprisonment (Barton-Bellessa et al. 50-51). Following the adoption of the Rockefeller laws, the prison population has been on the rise leading to constraints on available resources. The other law that has been criticized for being unnecessarily strict is the Three Strikes Law, which is directed towards individuals with previous counts of felony. Under this law, an individual convicted of a new felony having gone through a previous conviction of a serious crime is to be sentenced twice the term for the new crime (Judicial Council of California). Moreover, if a person was convicted of a crime having been through two prior sentences, this law requires that such an individual be imprisoned for at least 25 years or life imprisonment. Both laws have been criticized in the past and continue to receive criticism since they are unfairly harsh. Bearing in mind that prison space is finite, enacting such laws calls for additional resources, which come from the Amcferican taxpayers making their standards of living even harder. Therefore, I believe that this space should be filled with the most appropriate individuals and find alternative corrections for other criminals such as those who are drug related. For instance, drug related felons should be handled in community settings especially those that were involved in crimes while under the influence of drugs. Due to these laws, street addicts are being held in the prisons with insufficient resources for dealing with the mental health problems they might be going through as a result of the addiction (Gray). To me, from a logical perspective of view, it would not be of importance to imprison a mentally disturbed individual while there is a better option. If the American government takes this into serious consideration, it would reduce the prison population since individuals would be tested to determine whether they were in the right state of mind while committing a crime. Moreover, this would make more sense both from the perspectives of economic and logical aspects to provide an initial diversion from prison systems to community based health providers for the street addict. From my point of view, prison space should only be reserved for violent predators who committed the crimes in the right state of mind and repeat offenders without application of the three strikes law. This space should not be reserved for an individual who was arrested with cannabis worth a few dollars. However, if the individual must be jailed, 15 years is unreasonably long for such a crime. In fact, these laws have not improved the issue of drug sale and abuse in the U.S. This is becau se drugs still flock the American streets and new drugs such as methamphetamine have been introduced. With respect to non-violent street addicts, treatment and rehabilitation should be the first option in the line of defense for such individuals (McLemore 10-11). The unfair punitive effect brought by the Rockefeller Law in addition to the rigidity of the Three

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Geography of orientalism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Geography of orientalism - Research Paper Example Moreover, Boer (2003) noted that orientalism could be defined as ‘a Western style for dominating, restructuring and having authority on the Orient’ (Said 1979 3, cited by Boer 9). The particular concept has many dimensions: it can be interpreted by referring to its cultural, human, physical or political geography. The various geographical perspectives of orientalism, as indicatively presented above, are described in this paper. It is concluded that, indeed, the geography of orientalism can have different perspectives; however, not all of them are equally powerful in influencing the development of orientalism, a fact that seems to be related though to the local ethics and traditions. Orientalism is a rather complex concept. The most known study on orientalism has been the book of Edward Said, entitled as ‘Orientalism’ (Aitken and Gill 150). In the above book, Said notes that the description of orientalism developed in the West is often inaccurate, reflecting the perceptions of Western on other cultures, those that meet the criteria of orientalism (Aitken and Gill 150). According to Said, these descriptions of orientalism, as developed by Westerns, show ‘lack of knowledge on other cultures’ (Aitken and Gill 150). In other words, the concept of orientalism is not based on the ‘detailed knowledge of foreign cultures, those that are characterized as orient cultures’ (Aitken and Gill 150). In any case, orientalism reflects the differences between the East and the West, as these differences are highlighted in pieces of art and studies developed in the West (Sharp 16). As Said notes, the differences between East and West are mostl y geopolitical and are reflected in various texts developed in the West (Sharp 16). The geographical perspectives of orientalism have become clear the last decades, when the concepts of human geography, physical geography and political geography have

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Expansion of the Atlantic World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Expansion of the Atlantic World - Essay Example One of the leading factors that led to the expansion of the Atlantic world was the interest of European entrepreneurs to establish colonies in the new world. Majority of the merchants were moving to new regions seeking to establish colonies that would concentrate on agricultural production. These merchants had seen the benefits of growing sugar in neighboring islands. Sugar plantations on these islands were proving very productive. They were zealously seeking new regions to establish sugar plantations. The triangle travel in the Atlantic sea seemed to favor their intents because it allowed them to move to new regions expanding the new world. Sugar was the most significant crop in the Atlantic world. More merchants needed to venture into growing of sugar after witnessing its potential economic benefits. It is worth noting that the drive to establish colonies came because of the introduction of capitalism. The theory and practice of capitalism was a new thing that drove majority of the merchants to seek every opportunity of being able to establish an economic centre. The rise of mercantilism thinking brought about the idea of capitalism (Evans and Ryden 222). Capitalism emphasized the process of increasing wealth for each nation through economic colonies. The drive to establish capitalism was strong as it translated to power in the European setting. Nations that established more colonies were powerful than those who did not venture into expansion. Each of the nations struggled to establish new nod different trade opportunities in order to increase the national total wealth and power. Even when they moved to new regions, European nations embarked on a vigorous scramble for new territories. It is in this venture that the Europeans established colonies in America. In addition, slave system is one of the crucial factors that hastened the pace at which the Atlantic world expanded (Searing 27). With increasing demand for labor, the Europeans initiated a salve trade tha t provided cheap and continuous labor in most of the American colonies. Slave trade helped most of the colonies succeed increasing the flow of goods in most of the established colonies. Shipping of colonies was from Africa to the American colonies. Slaves formed part of the triangle trade that exported raw materials from America to Europe. The Europeans, driven by the capitalist expansion indulged in manufacturing of goods. These goods targeted the market in Africa. Shipping of slaves occurred from Africa to America to work in the colony plantations (Evans and Ryden 25) Religion was another factor that led to the expansion of the Atlantic world. there was a religious revolution in Europe that led to the oppression of the adherents of some religions. On moving to new regions, they found new economic ventures. Some moved to establish new religious converts to the new world but indulged in trade later. Some of those motivated by religious factors also caught up with the capitalism spir it. The religious revolution was an opposition of the powers of the archbishop in Europe at the time. In the spirit of creation of new economic ventures, European settlers reached North America in 1620s (Mancall 20). After their arrival, they set out to establish colonies in the region. The first of these settlers arriving at Plymouth were Protestants. These endured hardships in North America and their persistence attracted other settlers to start

Monday, August 26, 2019

Leading Group Challenges Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leading Group Challenges - Term Paper Example The first such change is the development of new coalitions between public and private organizations. In addition, these organizations gained more important role in homeland security, and hence, got consolidated into the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, there arose a need for all these organizations to implement new strategies to deal with newer versions of crimes. As a result, the leadership of criminal justice organizations is a job that requires a lot of effort because of the large number of challenges faced by the profession today. Responsibilities of a Criminal Justice Organization Leader The first and foremost responsibility of criminal justice organization leaders is to effectively prevent crime. In the effort to perform this basic duty, the leaders will have to manage staff, oversee administration, and promote community relationships. A criminal justice organization leader has the responsibility to manage staff under him. As a part of this, the leader will devise ways to improve the morale of the staff. In addition, it is for the leader to ensure proper and timely training and professional development to his staff. Also, keeping up ethics throughout the operations of the team is the duty of the leader. So, the leader should be a good role model, leading the team showing examples. In addition, the position of leader always requires smooth relation with community and media. When there is a high profile case or a legal jargon, the media often turns to the leader for explanations. So, it is for the leader to be an effective communicator. As a part of the profession, the leader will have to interact with law enforcement officials, counselors, teachers, social workers, lawyers, judges, and federal officers. Present day challenges for leaders in Criminal Justice Organizations According to social disorganization theory, community distress leads to social disorganization through the weakening of basic relationships and erosion of shared cultures. In other words, as Thabit points out, the loss of urban social structure has led to a decline in social control, thus leading to an increase in crime rates; thus, the challenges faced by leaders in Criminal Justice Organizations too are a result of the weakening or absence of social norms. Legal and political challenges. It is for the criminal justice agencies to deal with legal and political pressures, both within and outside the system. For example, criminal justice is not a task that is performed by a single agency. In fact, it requires the cooperation of various agencies ranging from police, courts, prisons, and at times, private agencies. As a result, sometimes, there arises confusion when there is a change in law or in the attitude of any organization. For example, as Gallagher and Holmes (2008) point out, different political parties might have different outlook regarding various criminal and social issues. In addition, different judges and prosecutors who come time to time may p ossess considerably different outlooks. So, if the leaders of various organizations are not kept informed about the changes in laws, attitudes, alliances, and modalities of approach, it becomes a matter of improper functioning. So, in total, it is for the leaders of criminal justice organizations to stay informed about the policy changes and basic policy differences. In addition, it becomes a challenge to keep the staff tuned to the changes that take place every now and then, including laws and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Accounting - Essay Example Obviously since they are new graduates you don’t expect an extensive experience resume, but you should target candidates that have at least an internship in accounting. A third credential that would be very valuable for the firm is candidates that are bilingual. The candidates resume is very important. The resume should be free of grammar and punctuation errors, it should illustrate the graduation date and GPA, and the skills and work experiences of the candidate. Recent graduates that have extensive resumes of more than one page should be disqualified because their level of experience does not justify a resume that long. This shows an inability to write in a concise manner. During the interview the candidate should be dressed in a formal manner. Applicants that dress informally should be disqualified because they are not taking their career aspirations seriously. Also during the interview you should look for applicants that are confident and express themselves well

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Effects of globalization on national food cultures Term Paper

Effects of globalization on national food cultures - Term Paper Example Nowadays, local communities are abundant in their own local cuisines, and they have access to fast food chains like McDonalds and other foreign dishes simultaneously. The increasing trend of fast food culture is significantly affecting lifestyle and health of youth globally, and they are now carrying the burden of poor nutritional practices and obesity. Thus, Globalisation has very negative effects on national food culture, which extends to the effects on national cuisines and food, impact on health and obesity, and economic impact on local food market. To begin with, Globalisation is significantly influencing the national food culture by affecting the national cuisines and food. One can observe a growing importance for imported foreign foods, which is affecting the relevance of local cuisines and national food culture. In many nations, food is an integral part of culture and over exposure to foreign goods due to Globalisation is becoming a major threat to the cultural identity of these nations. To illustrate, according to the Levin Institute report (n.d.), the French has their own culinary tradition with unique cuisines like crepes and pastries, and they are quite resistant to US cultural imperialism especially in the case of food culture (p. 180). But with the crowding of several US restaurant chains in urban regions which produce unhealthy and greasy burgers and processed food, recent statistics prove that urban population of France is suffering from eating related problems and obesity. Hence, according to the Levin Institute re port, increased trend of fast food brought by Globalisation is forcing people to take food of lower quality. As per the same survey, in China, children were not expected to buy food using their own money, and there were no festivities in celebrating birth date. But with the introduction of McDonald’s restaurant, more and more children begin to buy

How can we see architecture as a form or median that merges humanity Thesis

How can we see architecture as a form or median that merges humanity and nature - Thesis Example 122). Since time immemorial, several societies of the world have been known to honor sculptures and other forms of architectural designs as their gods; the Chinese and ancient Japanese societies being the best point of reference. As a matter of fact, their places of worship had specific architectural designs. This was evidence enough of the close relationship that existed between architecture and humanity (Brebbia, 2012, p. 71). Before the World War I, architectural designs were not necessarily buildings. Monuments stood in large cities and significant laces like museums and attraction sites. They added to the beauty of sceneries and made nature admirable. That notwithstanding, these designs reminded people of the significance of nature and. They were also a direct reminder of the fact that nature ought to be protected by humanity. For this reason, people remained connected with nature courtesy of the architectural designs of the times. The warm relationship between nature and architecture began deteriorating after the Second World War and the cold war that came thereafter. The Great Depression of the United States of America also contributed to the degradation of the closeness that existed between nature and architecture. People were more oriented to business and improving their economic statuses as opposed to observing the importance of nature. Every architectural design began to take the direction of business. The architectural designs of this period and periods that followed were therefore no longer associated with neither nature nor humanity but how people would get money out of them. This then marked the beginning of the disconnection between nature, humanity and architecture. Humanity and nature have lost connection and this can be seen from the early periods of romanticism in which there was a protest against the impending scientific rationalization of nature. This was dated to the 18th century

Friday, August 23, 2019

Homeland Security Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homeland Security Organization - Essay Example Newspapers have often reported that handling the effects of attacks by weapons of destruction demands the service of military, welfare organizations and local agencies. At present the nation faces severe attacks that may be so devastating, unexpected and complex. Existing system of original homeland security in USA has certain limitations. Emergency military operations, rehabilitation and medicinal aids are not possible in current system of original home security organization. Circumstances require coordinated or more integrated forms of homeland security organization in the United States. These types of integrated homeland security organization promote effective prevention methods, proper response, and rehabilitation programs to terrorist attacks and other natural calamities. Terrorist attacks and various natural calamities such as storm, earthquake and epidemic diseases affect a large area and prevention methods and rehabilitation activities should conduct in different places in a same time. Laegreid & Serigstad (2004) clearly remark that â€Å"changes, implementation and Improvement is reactive in character, which, in turn, causes considerable diffusion of responsibility between ministries, agencies and other public and private bodies† (p. 8). Collective responsibility of various agencies is essential for the successive implementation of homeland security organization and proper coordination should be ensured for the smooth functioning of variou s agencies. Coordinated homeland security program ensure the effective organization of the government in to the activities of various agencies. Laegreid, P & Serigstad, S. (November 2004). Organizing for Homeland Security: The Case of Norway. Stein Rokkan Centre for Social Studies. Retrieved 17 Jul. 10, from:

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Communication in Early Childhood Essay Example for Free

Communication in Early Childhood Essay Good communication in early childhood is essential because without communication the child wanders hopelessly around looking for some explanation as to why things work the way they do. When born, children know who to look for, listen to and bond with. Even before birth their brains are already somewhat â€Å"prewired for survival† (Gerrig Zimbardo 2008) Doctors and scientists have researched that in the womb babies favour the sound of their mother’s voices rather than voices of their fathers or a stranger. This is backed up by experiments showing that the fetal heart rate increases when the mothers voice is heard and decreases when a strangers voice is heard or even their fathers. This experimental research proves that the thoughts had about communication starting later on in babies mental development or even toddlers is a myth on all accounts. Children are â€Å"designed to communicate from birth† (Stamm Spencer 2007) How this ability is cultivated depends on the environment in which the child is surrounded in. The ability to communicate effectively in early childhood settings is crucial in social and mental development. When communicating with young children eye contact, body language and listening is all important factors to their learning development. Seventy percent of communication is non verbal so hand gestures and facial expressions with infants and small children can be interpreted in the wrong context if perceived to be scary or too intense. Keep in mind the environment in which the child is surrounded needs to be relaxed, clutter free. If there are too many noises or it is a very hectic environment the child is likely to be distracted easily which can hinder the communication development. â€Å"Communication refers to the development of a language system and language skills† (Stamm Spencer 2007) From a very early age children know how communicate. Whether it is by body language or speech, children develop their foundations for communicating from at first their family members then those their family members choose to surround them with. It is not a switch that is turned on from a certain age, developed over time with the use of neural commitment. Neural commitment is a part of the brain the helps the child develop in a few short years. It allows the child to sort, words, sounds, grammar and syntax of their native tongue.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

A Critical Review Essay Politics Essay

A Critical Review Essay Politics Essay Arend dAngremond Lijphart born in Apeldoom, the Netherlands is a world renowned political scientist specializing in comparative politics, elections and voting systems, democratic institutions and ethnicity and politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporation, academia, and religion institutions. He is currently Research Professor Emeritus of Political Science Political science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior.at the University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego is a public research university in San Diego, California, California. The schools campus contains 694 buildings and is located in the La Jolla, San Diego, California community.His work has focused on the broader contrasts between majoritarian and consensus democracies. The origin of this article under review was an invitation Lipjhart received to deliver at the Stein Rokkan Lecture, Joint Sessions of Workshops of the European Consortium for Political Research in Leiden on April 3rd, 1993 (Lipjhart 1994a). He uses this opportunity to present a report at that time on the latest phase of his work-in-progress a large-scale project, on which he has been working since the early 1980s, that attempts the systematic mapping of the worlds democracies in terms of their principal institutional characteristics. My purpose is to demonstrate if there is one best model of democracy while evaluating the approach Lipjhart has taken. Part of the argument has already been offered by Lipjhart (1994a), and this paper builds on his work. I will demonstrate his strengths while explaining the various forms of democratic methods proportional representation, consensus and majoritarian including implications of his weaknesses. Sartori (1968:273) adequately summarises the electoral system as the most specific manipulative instrument of politics. Democracies: Forms, Performance and Constitutional Engineering Lipjhart (1994a) argues that the choice between majoritarian electoral systems and proportional representation (PR) systems, there exists an exchange, as both are good forms of democracy but there is better minority representation in proportional representation systems and with the majoritarian system it leads to effective government. While Lijphart advocated consociationalism primarily for societies deeply divided along ethnic, religious, ideological, or other divisions, he sees consensus democracy as appropriate for any society. Lipjhart (1994a) strongly suggested that the government by the people or, democracy, as stated by Abraham Lincoln, is an ideal rather than a precise form of governmental procedures and goals. Lijpharts (1994a) article compares the two basic models of democracy: majoritarian or Westminster as used in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and consensus which is used in major Western European nations such as Switzerland. He goes on to state that each of these models use a different approach of an electoral model at how to best represent the citizens. In consequence one may ask, is it more democratic to delegate policy-making power to the majority only or is it better to include minorities, as well? (Lipjhart, 1994a:2) Lipjhart (1994a:2) defines the majoritarian model is characterized by a one party majority executive; an executive that predominates over the legislature; a two party system; a one dimensional party system (in which the two main parties differ primarily on socio-economic issues); a disproportional electoral system; and a pluralist interest group system. This maintains that majority rule comes closer to the democratic ideal than a government responsive to a minority. Furthermore, Lipjhart (1994a:2) states that the other type of electoral system, the consensus democracy has the opposite six characteristics: multiparty coalition executives; executive legislative balance; a multi party system; a multi-dimensional party system (in which the parties differ on issues in addition to socio-economic issues, for example, on religious, rural-urban and foreign policy issues); more or less proportional electoral outcomes; and a corporatists interest group system. He contends that majoritarian system when compared to the consensus form of government is a result of the more divided a country is, the more it is a plural society- the more consensual its form of democracy tends to be (Lipjhart 1994a:2) while countries with a British political colonial past adopted the majoritarian model. Lipjhart (2000:4) then extends his comparative analysis to plurality versus proportional representational systems. Here he analyses 13 advanced industrial democracies with parliamentary systems of government, contrasting four that use majoritarian election methods and nine that use proportional representational methods. He argued three main points: He then goes on to use the same performance variables comparing consensus versus majoritarian democracy where he concludes that Western European democracies with their consensus democracies have superior political representation while arguing that the majoritarian democracies are not performing better economically and that concentrating political power in the hands of a narrow majority can promote unified, decisive leadership and fast decision making (Lipjhart 1994a:11-12). Lipjharts findings are in a particular time period and he argues (1994a:12) the special advantage because of the 1990s are not only the decade of democratization but also the decade of renewed ethnic conflict, and because ethnic divisions are generally deeper and more severe in the democratizing world than in the world of established democracies. In the end his evidence points to consensus oriented political cultures are a strong counterforce to the majoritarian institutional conservatism and they provide fertile soil for the consensus model of democracy (Lipjhart 1994a:15). There are many good arguments that Lipjhart (1994a) makes using his methods of analysis and illustrated evidence. The first benefit of Lipjharts paper, Schmidt (1997) agrees with Lipjhart and what he addresses to be a truly significant topic of political science, comparative politics and that the article focuses the attention with a precisely stated and highly relevant research question Lipjhart (1994a:1) what can the new democracies of and democratizing countries of Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa learn from Western Europe?. Schmidt (1997) supports Lipjharts claims, which centres on the concentration of the relationship between constitutional structures and forms of democracy while Lipjhart measures political performance. Schmidt (1997:194) comments that this question is related to a recurrent topic in political science: which political system is more advanced than others in coping with social, economic and political problems and why? Lipjhart (1994a:1) answers this indispensible task in representative democracies is performed by the electoral system- the set of methods for translating the citizens votes into representatives seats. Thus the electoral system is the most fundamental element of representative democracy. Lipjhart (1994a:3) further states the conventional wisdom is that there is a trade off between consensus and majoritarian democracy where he goes on to comment consensus democracy provides more accurate representation and in particular, better minority representation and protection of minority interests while majority governments produced by majoritarian election methods are more decisive, and are more effective policy-makers. Similarly, Sartori (1997:8) states that the major factor establishing the proportionality or disproportionality of the proportional representation (PR) is the size of the constituency, where size is measured by the number of members that each district elects. So and regardless of the mathematical fine points, the larger the constituency, the greater the proportionality. Hence allowing for better representation. While Schmidt (2002:148) agrees however, the view that the English-speaking democracies (regardless of whether the Westminster model or the checks-and-balances model is concerned) are superior is no longer regarded as tenable. The second argument in favour of this (1994a) article, Schmidt (1997:195) applauds Lipjhart on the quality of the research design, the methodology and the empirical results. Schmidt (1997:195) argues in contrast to more traditional case-oriented theories of the ideal state, Lipjhart (1994a) addresses the research question within the framework of an empirical comparative analysis of 21 constitutional democracies. Moreover, the work builds on extensive research, such as his 1984 book, Democracies, not to mention numerous articles on related topics. In substantive terms, Lijphart demonstrates significant commonalities as well as differences between various democracies, such as those between consensus democracies and majoritarian democracy. The third merit of the article By Schmidt (1997:195) is due to the successful effort on the part of Lijphart to bring work on more formal institutions state structures and constitutional structures back into the investigation of public policy and policy outcomes. Following his own impressive research in comparative politics, Lijphart does this within the context of a comparative framework. Lijpharts article inspires other scholars in the field to follow more closely the avenue of a more fully integrated comparative analysis of the relationships between institutions and public policy choices. Finally, Schmidt (1997:195) states that the author derives relevant recommendations for purposes of constitutional engineering from his analysis. Pointing to the weaknesses and strengths of the various forms of democracies, the author has lessons to offer not only for constitution building in established democracies, but also for new political systems such as the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe. This demonstrates in a particularly convincing manner that high quality political science can generate high quality policy advice. However, this discussion is not without flaws and by careful examination and review of perspectives which might have been neglected by Schmidt (1997) support for Lipjhart (1994a), the following will include theoretical perspectives ignored and exaggerated claims not fully supported by argument or evidence. As Geddes (1990:132) states the effort here is not to discredit arguments or belittle authors, who are, after all, working within accepted conventions-but to demonstrate the deficiencies of the conventions. Discussion First, Schmidt (2002:148) states majoritarian democracies were long regarded as more stable, fitter for survival even under adverse circumstances such as during the interwar period and World War II, and better at problem solving. That belief largely mirrored the survival of the English speaking democracies in the 1920s and 1930s as opposed to the breakdown of a wide variety of democratic states and the rise of Fascism in Italy and of National Socialism in Germany and Austria in this period. Questioning this statement, according to consociationalist empirical democratic theory, such as that put forward by Lijphart (1999) and Lehmbruch (1975), negotiation democracies are often of equal strength and sometimes stronger than their majoritarian counterparts. There is little evidence and inaccuracy to state one is better than other from the evidence that is put forward by Lipjhart (1994a). Infact Satori (1997:69) states the necessary condition for the successful working of a consociational democracy is an elite cooperation whose intent counters the disintegrative tendencies of their society; but this necessary and most crucial condition disappears in the definition of consensus democracy. Second, Sartori (1997:69) argues there is a false belief that proportional systems are inherently superior to majoritarian systems and therefore that they are always to be preferred. He (Satori 1997:73) also states that in the pure form of PR generally backfires; and in the extremist package recommended by Lipjhart its defects boomerang and PR may turn out to be the kiss of death. Sartori (1997:28) thus as a result states once an electoral arrangement is in place, its beneficiaries protect their vested interests and struggle to go on playing the game by the rules they know. Third, another unproven claim by Lipjharts (1994a) article about the two types of electoral systems, he does not go into detail on the discussion of Duvergers laws and is very uncritical of those laws. Maurice Duverger was the first author to address the effects of electoral systems. Duverger as stated by Sartori (1997:29) formulated two laws, the first one states that plurality (majoritarian) systems tend to party dualism while the second law asserts that PR tends to mutlipartism, i.e., that it has a multiplying effect. Saroti was setting up his evidence to show the weakness of Duvergers laws in relation to Lipjharts views in the (1994a) article under review. Sartori (1997:30) goes on to demonstrate that weakness by stating Duverger assumes that a causal relation can be deduced from a correlation; that is to say, he misses the difference between cause of and associated with' while in the second law, he states a causal generalization is verifiable if and only if, the cause and the effect are clearly specified, whereas the effect of Duvergers first law (party dualism) defies underpinning, and the effect of his second law (multipartism) also suffers from excessive imprecision. Sartori comments that Duvergers laws are not consistent and that he can be easily use his evidence to fit his purpose. Sartori (1997:31) states the bottom line is, then, that a law is required to declare more than a regularity and cannot consist of a mere generalization. Furthermore, since a law stands so long as it is not falsified, it must be formulated so as to permit empirical confirmation or refutation. Fourth, consensus democracies are not necessarily better at policy formulation and implementation. Schmidt (2002:150) argues they are also faced with certain problems such as challenges requiring swift response, the rapid development of political alternatives and rapid decision making tend to overburden the consensus democracies. And so, too, do challenges which require the capacity to design and implement significant policy changes. Due to the large number of participants in policy deliberation and decision making, consensus democracies usually need longer periods of time to reach a consensus or initiatives may even get stuck in a blocked decision-making process. Schmidt (2002:150) adds a further weakness of consensus democracies lies in the lower transparency of the process of deliberation and decision making as well as the indistinct accountabilities of the participants in the negotiations. These deficits often are overlooked in the comparison of political performance levels of majoritarian and consensus democracies. Sartori (1997:72) argues if you reward divisions and divisiveness (and this is precisely what proporz and veto power do), you increase and eventually heighten divisions and divisiveness. In the end, then, Lipharts machinery may well engender more consensus-breaking than consensus-making. Fifth, in contrast to majoritarian democracies there is incomplete arguments made, Lipjhart (1994:11) argues that consensus democracy with regard to minority representation and democratic quality is not surprising because consensus democracy may be said to be designed so as to achieve more accurate representation of interests and broad participation in decision-making. While Powell (2000:234) comments that concentrated power is valued by majoritarians for enabling elected governments to carry out their promises (mandates) and for giving voters clear information about responsibility for government actions (accountability). Unless public opinion is very homogenous, however, concentrating power in the hands of the government will be detrimental to the normative principle of giving proportional influence to agents of all the electorate, which is the process most valued by the alternative vision. Sixth, another factor against consensus democracy is that some perform better than others. Schmidt (2002:149) argues other blind spots also include the asymmetric availability of performance data, with less systematic coverage of democracies in economically less-advanced states as a major gap, as well as the tendency to overlook both the imperfections of all consensus democracies and the wide range of variation in policy performance among consensus democracies. Powell (2000:52) argues clarity of responsibility is greatest when a single, unified political party controls both the national legislature and chief executive. If control of these critical policy-making points is dispersed among various parties or among individuals not firmly connected by political parties, then it will be much harder for citizens to determine who should bear the responsibility for policy success or failure and to use their electoral resources effectively as instruments for reward or retribution. Seventh, another weakness of Lijphart, is that he uses different concepts of democracy. Van Schendelen (1981:8) states in his first book, he refers to the election process, in the second (Democracies of Plurality) to Dahls concept of polyarchy. Between the two there exist, of course, important differences: for Dahl elections are only one element of polyarchy among many. Van Schendelen (1981:8) further states in his first conceptualization Lijphart leaves open the possibilities that political parties fully control the recruitment of candidates for an election; that in the interelection period the relationships between electors and elected are almost non-existent or antagonistic; that elites opinions and behaviour are non-representative of the peoples demands; and that elite-politics is full of secrecy and immune to popular control. Eighth, while Lipjhart focuses on certain countries for his research, Barbara Geddes (1990:131) states that there is a problem with selecting cases for study when the dependent variable originates from the logic of explanation. She (1990:131) further states when one sets out to explain why countries A and B have, say, developed more rapidly than countries C through G, one is implicitly looking for some antecedent factors X through Z that countries A and B possess, but that countries C through G do not. Geddes (1990) argues that the crux of the difficulty that arises when cases are selected on the dependent variable is that if one studies only countries A and B, one can collect only half the information needed, namely what A and B have in common which is what Lipjhart (1994a) does. She (1990:131) goes on to state unless one also studies countries C through G (or a sample of them) to make sure they lack factors X through Z, one cannot know whether or not the factors identified are cruc ial antecedents of the outcome under investigation. Countries A and B may be the only countries that have X through Z, in which case the hypothesis seems plausible. But many other countries may also have them, in which case the hypothesis would seem dubious. Schmidt (2002:148) clearly states one result of comparative studies of the behaviour, output and outcome of democracies has been that simple generalizations do not fit. According to Lijphart (1994a), no significant difference exists between the two types of democracies with respect to macro-economic policy outcomes and law-and-order-management. However, when it comes to softer political issues, consensus democracy turns out to be the winner. As a group, consensus democracies, Lijphart (1994a) argues, they perform better than majoritarian democracies in the protection of minorities, voter turnout, income equality and ratings of democratic quality. Schmidt (2002:151) continues with his discussion stating this finding is undoubtedly preliminary, and future work will require more detailed analysis of the impact of alternative explanations and control variables. However, the major point in this context is that Lijphart (1994a) has asked the right questions, such as do forms of democracy make a difference to policy outputs and policy outcomes and, if so, to what extent? Moreover, Schmidt (2002:151) continues his discussion the research published from many academics thus far has already produced fresh evidence on the costs and benefits of governmental systems with different political arrangements and different forms of democracy in particular. In contrast to this, policy deliberation in a non-majoritarian democracy is frequently characterized by extended bargaining, time-consuming searches for compromises and circuitous attempts to develop a political consensus such features are not at all suitable to politics as a spectacle (Edelm an 1988). Finally, Schmidt (2002:151) says the higher level of transparency and accountability of majoritarian democracies also weighs in their favour. Political leaders in a majoritarian democracy are more exposed and accountable to the general public, while responsibility and accountability in non-majoritarian systems often tends to evaporate in the countless networks typical of a negotiation democracy. Satori (1997:72) adds consociational democracy is a cross-pressured system held together by countervailing, solidaristic elites bent upon neutralizing the centrifugal pulls of their societies; consensus democracy is, instead, a one way slope that leads to a self-reinforcing system of minority appetites. CONCLUSION The catalogue of collected criticisms raised against Lijpharts views demonstrates at least one thing: his views are widely and fundamentally contested. But it also demonstrates that Lijpharts views have been taken seriously and that they have at least provoked critical debate and analysis among scholars. This critical inquiry attests to the substance and importance of Lijpharts efforts. I agree with Sartori (1997) where he states Lijphart seems to be more concerned about the applicability or the engineering potential of his theory than about its political science validity. If, along the basic lines of his essential views, democratic stability could be realized in highly unstable countries, then the theory may be weak, but not wrong. In consequence, Edelman (1985:2) states in their obsession with the state, men are of course obsessed with themselves. If politics is as complicated and ambivalent as the men who create it, it is to be expected that its institutions and forms should take on strong meanings: meanings that men cue and teach each other to expect and that are vital for the acquiescence of the general public in the actions of elites and therefore for social harmony. I support Lipjharts consociational democracy as it presents us with a challenging and provocative point of view. But, at the present time, it provides less than is needed for solid prescriptions for deeply divided societies anxiously searching for stable democracy. Perhaps, after rigorous analysis and evaluation, it might lead us to answers for problems confronting such societies. Any answers it might provide would certainly be highly valued by those who seek a stable, democratic political system.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Bidding for Event Management

Bidding for Event Management Background/Context Western Australian Football League (WAFL) was first established in 1885 and is based in Perth, Western Australia. WAFL is partnered with the seven network and sponsored by McDonalds. WAFL currently has nine teams competing in a 24 rounds season which commences in March and concludes in September each year. The 2017 grand final will be played on the 23rd September at the Domain in Perth. The celebrity singer proposed to perform four of her most popular songs at the 2017 grand final is the RB and pop singer Jessica Mauboy. Jessica Mauboy will also attending the pre-event activities including meet and greet and promotional events. Jessica Mauboy is one of Australias most successful female artists that rose to fame after competing on the television program Australian Idol. Attendance at WAFL has dropped in recent times however the largest crowd was during the 2010 grand final with 24,638 spectators. Jessica Mauboy popularity will be utilised to not only promote the WAFL but to increase a ttendance of spectators with a maximum capacity of 43,500. The event will be televised on the seven network and broadcast throughout western Australia on several radio stations. Executive Summary The following report indicates on how the event WAFL- Western Australian Football League, will deliver the celebrity performance. The event of music concert will take place in the WAFL stadium only, before and along with the matches. Taking place in Perth on 23rd of September 2017, the WAFL will have a huge amount of spectators. The celebrity will be invited to add an extra buck of fun along with the increase in the number of spectators. The report draws the attention towards the information on who that celebrity is going to be, and all the related tasks those would be included in hiring the celebrity. Along with this, the report includes the information on what is it going to cost to hire the celebrity and conduct the whole event, while taking the safety and quality into considerations. The main problems and their solution will also be discussed in the following report, moreover the further considerations to the risks involved and their ultimate solutions are also included in the report. Along with this information, the report also reflects the detailed information on other minor and sub-projects those are going to be dependent upon this project. The report evaluates every possible aspect related to the event and the event related persons or stakeholders. Objectives The objective of the project is to win the bid for the logistics, event management and coordination for the event at the 2017 WAFL Grand Final. Once achieved, the objective is to organise a smooth-running successful event with Jessica Mauboy performing at the WAFL Grand Final. Another objective is to increase the maximum number of attendance which is within budgets and satisfies all stakeholders needs and expectations. Target Outcomes The target is to sell at least 85% of capacity which is 36,975 tickets sales. This can be measured on the total attendance rate. The target is to meet budgets and success can be measured on the actual expenditure vs. budgeted costs. The goal is to achieve at least 100% satisfaction rate in regards to the entertainment. This goal can be measured through customer surveys and data can be captured from any complaints. How will the success of the project be measured? Customer Satisfaction Within the budget Deliver on time Output(s) Successful and profitable event Excellent time management Planning and executing event in such a way that guest enjoy being at the event Proper management of manpower (to be investigated further) Governance: who is going to be responsible if the event fail? The WAFC attempted a complete audit of its administration techniques to guarantee that best practice frameworks and procedures were consolidated in basic leadership. Commissioners roles and duties Board execution and performance Committees Terms of Reference Delegation of Powers and Authority Approvals HR/Football/Finance Policies Football related contracts and rules register Integrity issues and procedures Review of the WAFC Constitution Key competition has additionally been surveyed and corrected including: WAFL Rules Regulations WAFL Funding Agreement Updating integrity requirements into WAFL and other competitions Reporting Requirements To be investigated Resources TheWestern Australian Football league will be administrated by the not-for-profit association Western Australian Football Commission. The event production company LUX will oversee the artists performance in the WAFL Final. Until 2015 the insurance company AAMI was one of the main sponsors of the WAFL and nowadays McDonalds is the current sponsor of the Western Australian Football league. Supporting the WAFL, McDonalds will sponsor the artists performance. Artists Performance Sponsors: LUX event production company will oversee: Design of the event, which includes marketing. Filming and editing Stage designer. Technical production materials 3 big led screens in the scenario (Left side, right side and behind the artist). Equipment for media server. Operational and controlling lighting system. Sound production. Sound equipment. Microphones. Stage. Backstage (Marquee tent, tables, chairs, sanitary and electrical facilities) Budget Budget To be investigated Stakeholders Communication strategy Objective is to have a transparent and open communication with stakeholders throughout the project life cycle. Communication Plan Six months prior to the event, the event management team will communicate the purpose, objective and share the event management plan with key stakeholders. Direct feedback will be gather from key stakeholders through emails, phone calls and face to face meetings. If required, the project plan will be adjusted or amended to ensure that majority of stakeholders are satisfied and the changes will be communicated. Three months prior to the event the promotional activities will be established and commence through liaising with the marketing sponsors and advertising will be through radio announcements and competitions, and advertisements on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. One month prior to the event, the project team will communicate with key stakeholders on any further changes and how well the marketing campaign is progressing. One week prior to the event, the project team will communicate with the stakeholders the expected attendance numbers and report on the success of the promotional activities. One week after the event, the project team will provide the sponsors with a report on the event and communicate to all stakeholders the overall success of the event. Stakeholders Project Management Team Jessica Mauboy Sony Music Australia Domain Venue Managers Spectators Volunteers Backstage Staff Football Players Makeup Artist/Hair Dresser Sound Engineer Security Sponsors Media Seven Network KIX Country digital 107.3 HFM 91.3 SportsFM 720 ABC Perth ABC Grandstand Digital Fox FM Kix Digital HFM Assumptions and Constraints 2010 WAFL Grand Final was the largest crowd. The final was between Swan Districts and Claremont at Domain Stadium. Celebrity Performance Jessica Mauboy 50K-80K Flights Sydney -Melbourne $439 Melbourne-Sydney $439 Qantas airline Flexible flights Accommodation Length of stay: 6 days (19th September 2017- 24th September 2017) Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne: $760 (5 nights) Food Budget approx.$1500 (6 days) Security MA Security Group Budget: To be investigated. Celebrity Background Second place in Australian Idol I Am World Tour Beyonce and Chris Brown F.A.M.E tour participation. Ricky Martin mentor in The Voice programme Ambassador for the Indigenous Boxing clash event interpreted the Australian Anthem Artists performance songs: Pop a bottle (Fill me up) (Beginning) Burn Inescapable (Youngboyz Mix) Running back ft Flo Rida (Final) WAFL FINAL ATTENDANCE Year Attendance 2009 22,738 2010 24,638 (largest attendance) 2011 15,459 2012 18,612 2013 20,008 2010 WAFL Grand Final was the largest crowd. The final was between Swan Districts and Claremont at Domain Stadium. The total capacity of Domain Stadium is 43500 spectators. The final will be with both or either Swan Districts or Claremont It is expected to overweight the largest attendance in 2010.Jessica Mauboy performance in the grand final will be done to achieve 35,000 spectators. McDonalds and Coca-Cola tickets available in different stores will incentive WAFL grand final sales. Taking approach of the singer boom will be possible achieve attendance goal. Constraints; Budget constraints. Experience and knowledge. Lack of information about past WAFL gran finals. Time for event creation. Major Risks Minimisation Strategies Risk Register Risk Consequences Likelihood Treatments Options/Mitigation Plan Person responsible for implementation Overwhelmed crowd Personal Injury High Permanent volunteers and staff looking after the spectators Western Australian Football Commission Disturbance inside and outside the stadium Personal Injury Low Pre-event, during and post-event police control Western Australian Football Commission Celebrity unable to perform Financial loss and public trust loss Medium Playback due to sickness, performance of another artist due to cancellation. Event board Sound failure Harm to reputation of business community in charge of the sound Medium Sound engineer after and during the event, sound check 2 days after the event, extra sound equipment. Event board Electrical failure Harm to reputation of business community in charge of the electricity Medium Electrical engineer after and during the event, Lights and electricity check 2 days after the event, extra electrical equipment. Event board Communication failure Harm to reputation of business community in charge of the communications Medium Communication staff after and during the event, communication procedures and equipment check 2 days after the event, extra electrical equipment. Event board Extreme weather events. Personal injury and financial loss Low Forecast weather examination prior event. Event board, Western Australian Football Commission Explosion Personal injury and financial loss Low Trained staff able to manage incidents before, during and after the event. Complete evacuation plan approved by the corresponding authorities Western Australian Football Commission Risk Management Event description WAFL Final Date: 23rd September 2017 Time: 2.30pm Venue: Domain Stadium, Perth Location; Perth, Western Australia Running schedule: Colts game kicks: 8.40am Reserves: 11.20am Performance time: 2.00 pm Final league: 2.30pm Issues Management Issues related to the event are to be identified and manage before and at the time of the event. Some of the major issues that should be managed are as follows: Issues related to sponsors Conflicts between staff team Crowd control and security Barriers and concert crowd control Health and safety issues Medical and first aid Restriction on tobacco and smoking during the event Emergency management Management of alcohol Drug related issues Related Projects The following section includes the sub projects those are related to this event in any way. The colts and reserve matches The grand prix finals Guidelines/Standards The main purpose of guidelines is to identify basic standards and measures for organizing an event to satisfy authorities such as government, police department, emergency service organizations and the stakeholders. Guidelines and standards is necessary to satisfy authorities and provide a consistent state-wide approach to event. Quality Control This section of the report will be one of the most important aspect. As this is the only section from where this can be recognized that how efficient the system is going to be designed. The review on how the things are going on so far, would be collected from different sources at different times throughout the whole project. This will allow the managers and event organizers on where they are perfect and where they need to put on more efforts. Basically the quality control is the inspection, testing and checking of the product that we are working on, where the prime moto is to check if something is not okay and then to fix the problems.(Jane Bennett) A few of the sources of these reviews can be: The spectators The event organizers The volunteers The celebrity himself The inspection teams The media Online reviews (Facebook and other social medias) Capturing the lessons Learnt Did we meet the budget? Have we stick to our schedule? Have we had enough time? Actions and decisions taking during the monitoring and controlling stage Is money sufficient Did event run smoothly? Enough Marketing Do we have the right team? Manage Human Resources through KPIs (key performance Indicator) Project Activities and Milestones Project activities and milestones can be divided into 5 phases Phase 1-Pre event approval and application This phase includes all the activities in planning process that enables an event to be held in a safe and proper manner. Approval from the celebrity , sponsors and relevant stakeholders with signed contract Developing a budget The budget should be specific, and include revenue opportunity (sponsorship, ticket sales, donations etc.) as well expenses such as printings, permits, insurance, speakers, food supplies and security. Along with this we also need to plan for the unexpected budget to be on the safer side. Marketing campaign Pre-ticket sales Procurement of necessary equipment Phase 2- Load In This phase includes all the pre event physical activities, delivery and construction of infrastructures and equipment necessary for the event. Setting up a stage, sound systems, lighting systems etc. Arrival of the celebrity Phase 3- Event This phase includes all the aspects from when the crowd starts queuing outside for entry until the last person leaves. Phase 4- Load Out This comprises the breakdown of facilities, clean-up , pack up and departure of the celebrity. Phase 5- Post event reporting An event reporting should be carried out with all the relevant stakeholders. Following the event debrief there should be an evaluation of the event to determine its overall success in terms of minimizing risks and avoiding harm, accidents and disturbances.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Should We Seek Truth in Somé’s Magic? :: Of Water and the Spirit Literature Essays

Should We Seek Truth in Somà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Magic? What is most striking about Malidoma Somà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Of Water and the Spirit is not only his extraordinary account of the Dagara initiation ritual, but the ways in which he uses his experiences to make comments upon Western culture. Because of the way in which he was raised and educated, Somà © clearly dwells upon the border between his native Dagara culture and the vastly differing Western culture. Somà © himself characterizes himself as â€Å"a man of two worlds,† with his lifework being to attempt to explain each to the other. Because of his unique status, Somà © is in the position to make extremely insightful comments about his native culture, his adopted Western culture, and the ties that bond the two together despite their seemingly irreconcilable differences. As much as this story is about Somà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s initiation, it is just as much a commentary on what happens under colonization. To sum up briefly, Somà © seems to be discussing the arrogance and yet the connective void - what he calls the â€Å"sickness† - of Western culture. Colonization begins from a feeling of superiority in Western, in this case exclusively European, countries; they believe in their right to own the land inhabited by others. A secondary but nonetheless important assumption under colonialism is the belief that the European culture is better, more productive and beneficial to its members. Hence it is justified in the minds of the colonizers that they enter a foreign land, displace the indigenous peoples from their homes and strip them of their cultures. Despite the fact that these cultures, with their accompanying rituals, traditions and religions, have been established for millennia, the colonizers maintain a belief that these cultures are backward, i nferior and somehow harmful to their members. It is â€Å"for their own good† that these indigenous peoples are divided like spoils of war amongst colonizing nations, Christianized and forced to abandon their native tongues in favor of the language of the colonizer. Somà © himself is representative of his culture: kidnapped from his indigenous way of life and placed against his will into a Jesuit school where he is cruelly punished for misuse of the French language and force-fed Christianity. The colonizers came equipped with various methods of stripping the native of his culture and assimilating him, with or without his consent, into theirs; education, in this light, seems to be a method of brainwashing.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Essays Papers

Heart of Darkness I had read this story once before when I was a freshman at a branch campus of Penn State called Behrend. I read it for a literature class dealing with short stories and their analyzation. I didn’t really like the story back then, and it really hasn’t moved-up any spots on my list of favorites. Although I really didn’t care for the story, I did notice quite a bit of symbolism throughout the book. Conrad seemed to use black and white as his main source of color symbolism. Just as in the old westerns, white is good and black is bad. One instance in which you could see this is the many times that Conrad speaks of the white souls of the black people and the black souls of the white people that exploit them. The old ladies in the Belgian office sat there and knitted black wool, symbolizing the dark fate and tragedy that were to follow. You can find many, many other examples of the usage of black and white to symbolize feelings and emotions, as well as a few other colors. There are also some objects that Conrad uses to create a symbolism. Take, for example, the stick of wax that the manager breaks while he is talking about Kurtz. I don’t know, but if you ask me the manager wishes that the wax actually was Kurtz. I think that the oil painting that was done by Kurtz shows that he was completely aware of what was going on and what he was getting himself into. I also noticed that grass was mentioned a lot in the story. I remember from my class at Behrend that the professor mentioned that Conrad liked to include a lot of references to Biblical scripture in his works. I can’t remember what it was supposed to mean, but I think that the grass has something to do with the Bible. Well, even though this wasn’t the greatest book that I have ever read, there were a lot of interesting things that it gave me to think about. The question was posed in class on Tuesday...What kind of leader would you be if you could make all of the rules You know, the longer that I sit here and think about that question the more that I think I would be horrible. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Essays Papers Heart of Darkness I had read this story once before when I was a freshman at a branch campus of Penn State called Behrend. I read it for a literature class dealing with short stories and their analyzation. I didn’t really like the story back then, and it really hasn’t moved-up any spots on my list of favorites. Although I really didn’t care for the story, I did notice quite a bit of symbolism throughout the book. Conrad seemed to use black and white as his main source of color symbolism. Just as in the old westerns, white is good and black is bad. One instance in which you could see this is the many times that Conrad speaks of the white souls of the black people and the black souls of the white people that exploit them. The old ladies in the Belgian office sat there and knitted black wool, symbolizing the dark fate and tragedy that were to follow. You can find many, many other examples of the usage of black and white to symbolize feelings and emotions, as well as a few other colors. There are also some objects that Conrad uses to create a symbolism. Take, for example, the stick of wax that the manager breaks while he is talking about Kurtz. I don’t know, but if you ask me the manager wishes that the wax actually was Kurtz. I think that the oil painting that was done by Kurtz shows that he was completely aware of what was going on and what he was getting himself into. I also noticed that grass was mentioned a lot in the story. I remember from my class at Behrend that the professor mentioned that Conrad liked to include a lot of references to Biblical scripture in his works. I can’t remember what it was supposed to mean, but I think that the grass has something to do with the Bible. Well, even though this wasn’t the greatest book that I have ever read, there were a lot of interesting things that it gave me to think about. The question was posed in class on Tuesday...What kind of leader would you be if you could make all of the rules You know, the longer that I sit here and think about that question the more that I think I would be horrible.

Relationship Essay -- science

Relationship The relationship between men and women has always been complicated and sometimes even a really loving relationship cannot survive if people chose their personal longing as a priority. No matter how strong are the values of a man or a woman they should never forget about feelings and happiness that are nowhere else to be found but in the heart of the beloved person. Men and women fight in relationships: fight for more independence, fight to prove their rightness and keep forgetting that love is not a fight but a â€Å"mutual support alliance†. William Carlos Williams in his story â€Å"The Buffalos† gives an outstanding example of a relationship between a man and a woman. Francie in this story has a certain notion of what a relationship should be like. She seeks for being loved, unde...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Kristof vs. Bambi

Kristof vs. Bambi The purpose of â€Å"For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle† by Nicholas D. Kristof is to inform the reader that deer are causing death and destruction all across America and to persuade the reader to believe the only way to end this is to hunt deer. Kristof begins the essay by grabbing our attention proving deer are over populated, destroying the ecosystem, and killing Americans in car crashes every year. He then leads us to his thesis â€Å"Let’s bring back hunting. † Kristof notes that these days many people view hunting as cruel and brutal and are opting for other methods for deer control now due to their sympathy for deer. He believes methods such as birth control are a waste of time and money and if something does not change soon it is only going to get worse. Kristof also proves in his essay that there has been a significant decline of hunting stating, â€Å"For every hundred hunters who die or stop hunting, only sixty-nine hunters take their place† (pg. 183). He wants us to know while you can be sympathetic to the deer we have an environmental imbalance, a serious problem and the only way to solve it is to put feelings aside and hunt. Kristof then offers us another way to look at hunting. That it is environmentally friendly. He even goes on to say, â€Å"It connects people with the outdoors and creates a broader constituency for wilderness prevention† and makes sure to note â€Å"At a time when America is goggled away with logging, mining, or oil drilling† (pg. 183), which touches the hearts of environmentalists. Kristof gives us two options in this essay: sit back and feel sorry for the deer that may kill you and your planet, or accept that hunting is normal and instinctive and to pick up your rifle and restore environmental balance. The situation prompting Kristof to write this article was the over population of deer that is continuing to grow. I think this essay was wrote to inform readers of the over population of deer and the destruction they are causing. He also notes in this text that hunters are on the decline perhaps proving this is one factor that is contributing to the over population of deer. This essay was published in the New York Times and I don’t believe this article was aimed toward a specific audience. Most of his readers are probably from the city and could really care less about deer population. They probably found the article funny but I doubt any of them were persuaded. Kristof makes it clear in this essay what the main purpose of him writing the article is, which is to inform the reader about the deer problem and attempt to persuade the reader to agree with him that American’s need to bring back hunting. Kristof also gives facts throughout the text to back up some information on the issue. He uses a lot of research and data to inform the readers of the deer problem. For instance, he notes in the text a study done for the insurance industry which states â€Å"deer kill about 150 people a year in car crashes nationwide and cause $1 billion in damage. † (pg. 83) This is very convincing that there is a deer problem and I feel this evidence is credible. However when Kristof discusses attempts other than hunting to control the deer population he doesn’t explain them fully and tells us they don’t work with no evidence to back up his claim. For example Kristof tells us about some towns that are experimenting with deer birth cont rol then states â€Å"Deer contraception hasn’t been very successful, though. †(pg. 183) And we are just taking his word for it, he gives us no real evidence that this method doesn’t work. This also happens to be an example of my next topic that I found with the text. I found one Strong fallacy that Kristof uses to try to persuade his audience. It is called special pleading or stacking the deck, this involves using arguments that support your position but ignoring arguments against. Kristof does this in a way that was not easy to catch right away. He does give the reader other solutions for the issue but does not explain those good enough to really understand or see why they are not good options, he just tells us they are. Making this entire essay a fallacy showing only his arguments and not letting the audience understand all of the options. Kristof’s essay is an entertaining and mildly informative piece of writing. I was immediately drawn into the text when he offered the quiz. I found myself reading wondering what joke Kristof would make next and fascinated that he could be so funny and make an argument at the same time. Kristof does convince me that there is a problem with today’s deer population but I am not convinced hunting deer is the only way. By only mentioning a few other options to reduce the deer population and not explaining them thoroughly, I was left feeling unsure and wondering should I even consider his side? I felt this way because he had to leave the other information out to make his argument stronger. I also felt by only stating those couple of options and then making a mockery of them, he was almost shamming his audience into taking his side on the issue. I think this essay was a fun read but I find the argument weak, it is going to take a better argument than that for people to turn on Bambi. Works Cited Kristof, Nicholas D. â€Å"For Environmental Balance, Pick Up a Rifle. † New York Times 4 Dec. 2005. Rpt. in Current issues and enduring questions. Sylvan Barnet, Hugo Bedau. 8th ed.. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2008. 183-184

Friday, August 16, 2019

Internal Factor Evaluation Essay

Internal factors of a college or university include faculty, students, staff, alumni, athletic program, physical plant, grounds and maintenance, student housing, administration, academic programs, fraternities, sororities, and public relations. The sum total of all weighted score is equal to the total weighted score, final value of total weighted score should be between range 1.0 (low) to 4.0 (high). The average weighted score for IFE matrix is 2.5 any company total weighted score fall below 2.5 consider as weak. The company total weighted score higher than 2.5 is consider as strong position. And from the table above Philippine Women’s University Sta. Cruz, Laguna Campus has a slight strong internal position and there are many areas need to improve further. Strategies After we evaluate our university, we think that there are some things that the university should do like daily checking of air-cons, lights, flushes of toilets, etc. They should build clinic in case of emergency, they should also build canteen, hire an HR, and have a head of each colleges. They should also include all the other or extra fees in tuition fee. And there’s one thing that is important for us senior, we guess that they should take some actions in helping them on finding OJT. And maintain their strength or much better to improve it more.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Isobel Dixon uses language Essay

Explore the ways in which Isobel Dixon uses language and other poetic devices to present her ideas of freedom and restriction in â€Å"Plenty† Isobel Dixon went to heaven and hell, she is one woman who knows what it is to suffer. She went from humble beginnings as a child living in the extremely poor and dry region of Karoo in South Africa. To an affluent and successful poet, Dixon manages to write a poem about freedom and restriction, a poem where she goes from having ‘Plenty’ of suffering to ‘Plenty’ of money. Using language and other poetic devices we can precisely analyze how Dixon presents her ideas, and if it is possible to have both, plenty of money, and happiness. When Dixon introduces her family in the first paragraph, she uses rhymes, making the text have rhythm and a twist to it, but what is most important is that Dixon rhymes the two most important words in the second line, it was a â€Å"running riot to my mother`s quiet despair†. It is important to note how she linked these two contradicting words, she is indirectly admitting her guilt to the reader, and how her mother restricted her feelings, and remained calm, when there was always a â€Å"running riot† going on inside the house. Their bathtub was in an awful state, â€Å"age-stained and pocked†¦ † which is parallel to the state of the family. The tub became a central symbol in the poem for the memory of her family. The bathtub is not only â€Å"age-stained† but it is also â€Å"pocked/ upon its griffin claws,† the claws helps us picture the old bathtub, but it also gives us the image of claws holding down on the ground, as if it was going to fly, because it â€Å"was never full†. â€Å"Mommy`s smile† presents the idea of restriction perfectly, where she tries to smile, but it was anchored down, as if it was â€Å"a clasp to keep [them] all from chaos† . Her mother`s smile also can be seen as a â€Å"lid clamped hard† upon all the small amounts of resources and worries that spill out, it is a simile that holds the family together. Her mother is stoic and a survivor, she cannot therefore show what she actually feels inside, she must clasp it with a smile. The third stanza gives us the adult perspective, Dixon’s present day thoughts of her difficult childhood. She feels guilty, because only now she is mature and can understand what her mother had to put up with when raising her children, only now she understands why her mother spared every gram of aspirin, every millimeter of porridge and every crumb of bread. Dixon uses sibilance, to present the idea of restriction as well as freedom, whereas the ‘s’ sound represents water flowing smoothly, † She saw it always, snapping locks and straps,/ the spilling: sums and worries, shopping lists† as if it was free, the strong consonance alliteration cuts the ‘s’ sound, as if the water is restricted to flow. The author, in the fifth stanza, explains how she used to feel about her mother, how â€Å"[she] thought her mean. † Dixon did not understand what her mother was going through, and now that she does, she feels sorry. Consequently, she wishes to forget those memories. Dixon omits the personal pronouns when informing the reader what she used to do with her mother, she wrote simply â€Å"Skipped chores,/ swiped biscuits† not â€Å"We skipped chores,/ We swiped biscuits†. Dixon also uses â€Å"precious† to describe an inch of water, which is in turn a very effective adjective. Moreover it portrays just how much her family is poor and humble. Dixon presents her ideas of freedom and restriction in the sixth stanza by the use of an oxymoron, â€Å"†¦ such lovely sin,† which gives us an idea of the complexity of her guilty pleasure. The seventh and eighth stanza’s Dixon compares her rich life of freedom, to her restricted and difficult past: â€Å"Now bubbles lap [her] chin. † She no longer has to spare precious inches, she can now take bubble baths, with water up to her chin, Dixon is now self-indulgent in her fondness for sensuous luxury. The water is no longer â€Å"disgorged from fat brass taps†, it is now a â€Å"hot cascade†. She presents her ideas of freedom by demonstrating how a rich person takes a bath, how she is free to let the hot cascade fall on top of her, with not the slightest sense of guilt. On the other hand, she is not completely happy. After having everything, she still misses her now â€Å"scattered sisters†, who were no longer cramped up in a single age-stained bathtub, but spread across the globe, and her mother’s smile was finally â€Å"loosed from the bonds. † She is now really smiling, not preventing chaos. Dixon walked the long path of life, living the most difficult conditions one could have, until she finally managed to make her way to the doors of richness. She had indeed plenty of suffering as well as luxury, but having both was the real challenge. There is a bittersweet feeling in the end, as she is now materially sound but alone in her tub.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Pain Control During Infant Circumcision

Pain Control During Infant Circumcision Circumcision is a painful surgical procedure frequently performed on newborn baby boys and often without available pain relief measures being used. The procedure, especially without pain relief, can cause short-term effects such as choking, gagging, and vomiting. Long term effects of circumcision without pain relief are not well understood, however, an increased incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and/or periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) has been associated with pain and stress in the neonate (Leef, 2006). Crying time, facial expression, and sweating palms can indicate infant pain, as can increased heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Although these behavioral and physiological changes are present at other times, the infant usually displays them during a circumcision that is not accompanied with effective pain relief. This paper reviews various pain relief methods and current residency training practices regarding the use of analgesia during the circumcision procedure. Available treatments are used with the three most common circumcision surgical techniques: the Morgen clamp, the Gomco clamp, and the Plastibell method. Recent research suggests that the Morgen clamp is associated with a less painful procedure when compared with the other two (Leef, 2006; Yawman et al. , 2006). Preferred by trainees, the Morgen clamp is also faster to use than the Plastibell (Yawman et al. , 2006) and include local and topical pain relief methods, oral sucrose and oral acetaminophen. Dorsal penile nerve block (DPNB), which involves injecting anesthetic at the base of the penis, and subcutaneous ring block are the two most commonly used local anesthetics. Topically applied anesthetic creams include EMLA, a water-based cream that includes lidocaine and prilocaine. Although DPNB, ring block, and EMLA do not eliminate circumcision pain, all three are more effective than placebo or no treatment (Leef, 2006; Yawman et al. , 2006). Compared head to head, DPNB is substantially more effective than EMLA cream (Leef, 2006). However, DPNB can cause minor bruising, bleeding, or swelling at the injection site and EMLA can cause skin color changes or local skin irritation (Leef, 2006). When used alone during the entire surgical procedure, oral agents, such as sucrose and acetaminophen, have not been shown to be as effective when compared with either EMLA or DPNB (Leef, 2006). However, in 1998, Herschel et al. (as cited in Leef, 2006) found that when sucrose was compared with DPNB during â€Å"the initial time intervals of circumcision (surgical preparation, lateral clamping, lysis of adhesions) and the final period (excision of the foreskin and application of a dressing)† there was no significant difference in heart rate which suggests that sucrose is as effective as DPNB during these periods (Leef, 2006, p. 77). In 1991, Blass and Hoffmeyer (as cited in Leef, 2006) found that babies cried less often when given a sucrose-dipped pacifier compared to a water-dipped pacifier or no intervention when undergoing the procedure. Given these results, one can conclude that combining oral sucrose with DPNB would provide optimum pain relief. Since 1999, the American Aca demy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all recommended the universal use of local or topical anesthetics during neonatal circumcision (Yawman et al. 2006). In order to find out if there has been an increase in residency programs that teach effective forms of analgesia for newborn circumcision since previous data collection in 1998, Yawman et al. (2006) conducted a survey of US residency programs in family practice (FP), pediatrics (PED), and obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) in April, 2003 (N=940). The results showed that only 82% taught newborn circumcision and that FP residents (95%) were more likely to be taught the procedure than either PED (49%) or OB/GYN (86%) residents. These findings were not significantly different from the 1998 study. Ninety-seven percent of the programs that taught newborn circumcision also taught effective anesthetic techniques. This is a 26% increase compared with the previous study (71%). However, only 84% of the responding programs reported that a topical or local agent was always or at least frequently used. There was a statistically significant difference among residency programs, which showed that 93% of PED, 86% of FP and 76% of OB/GYN programs frequently or always used analgesia. The previous study did not gather this data so a comparative analysis could not be performed (Yawman et al. , 2006). There are several limitations to the Yawman et al. (2006) study. The survey relies on accurate reporting by respondents who may overestimate the frequency of how often effective pain management is taught. In addition, the respondents gave their personal opinion, which reflected on the practices of a whole department of which they may not be fully informed. The respondents completing the survey likely differed from the individuals who responded in the 1998 survey. Last, the study only surveyed teaching hospitals and may not reflect the practices of other community hospitals In spite of these limitations, the results showed that 16% of the residency programs do not always or at least frequently use analgesic agents during the surgical circumcision procedure. Based upon the overwhelming evidence of the safety and benefit to newborns of effective analgesia during circumcision this particular statistic of the Yawman et al (2006) study is both surprising and bothersome. This implies that although the teaching of effective analgesic techniques during circumcision has increased over the years, implementation of these practices is not yet universal. Furthermore, physicians that were trained in programs that did not teach the use of analgesics for circumcision, as was the case for the majority of programs just 15-20 years ago, are not likely to use pain management in their current practice. Therefore, the actual number of infants needlessly subjected to the surgical procedure without effective analgesia use is currently unknown. Further research, which attempts to quantify this number, is needed. The results may be alarming enough to create a standard policy in all hospitals, which states that effective pain management is required for all newborn circumcisions. References Leef, K. H. (2006). Evidence-based review of oral sucrose administration to decrease the pain response in newborn infants. Neonatal Network, 25, 275-284. Yawman, D. Howard, C. R. , Auinger, P. , Garfunkel, L. C. , Allan, M. , & Weitzman, M. (2006). Pain relief for neonatal circumcision: a follow-up of residency training practices. Ambulatory Pediatrics, 6, 210-214.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The Psychological and Medical Effects of Plastic Surgery Term Paper

The Psychological and Medical Effects of Plastic Surgery - Term Paper Example In light of our culture that overly deifies skinny and C-cup breasted women, people who are not satisfied with their appearance reckon that undergoing plastic surgery will do miracles for their popularity or boost their self-esteem. To some degree, this may be a rational expectation considering the studies conducted on patients who have availed of cosmetic procedures. These studies show that most patients posted positive feedback on the procedure and are pleased with the outcome as their self-worth have been significantly enhanced. These patients assert that plastic surgery has helped them overcome distress and shyness and improved the quality of their lives. (Castle, Honigman & Phillips) However, despite these optimistic results, people should not be misled to believe that cosmetic surgery is the magic potion for their problems. Specialists noted that some customers have unrealistic expectations of cosmetic procedures because of what they see on television, hear from friends and dishonest doctors. Such behavior is said to result in great dissatisfaction and may lead to depression, adjustment problems, family problems and anger towards surgeon. There have also been studies linking dissatisfaction with plastic surgery to suicide but this is still subject to further assessment since findings are not conclusive. (Dittmann) Medical Effects Although cosmetic procedures are deemed generally safe, some surgeons assert that a number of patients are not aware or tend to disregard the possible medical effects of plastic surgery. These people fail to perceive that plastic surgery is indeed a form of surgery that has medical implications. For instance, a cosmetic procedure may cause rupturing and permanent scarring. Aside from these, there may also be a need for periodic operations to replace or remove the implanted device. In addition, specifically for those who wish to undergo breast implants, there may be potential interference with breastfeeding and mammography that may delay cancer diagnosis. (Boodman)  Ã‚  

Audis pricing strategies in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Audis pricing strategies in UK - Essay Example In order to understanding of how strategies have been applied by Audi, the section below provides a discussion of each of them. Audi has applied the price discount strategy by offering their vehicles at prices lower than the list prices (Nieuwenhuis, 2003, p. 189). The company also offers quantity discounts for suppliers purchasing vehicles in large quantities. For instance, S6 model may be retailing at a price of  £53,995 but customers buying in large quantities are offered a lower price of around  £53,000. This strategies aims at encouraging customers to buy in large volumes because there is the benefit of getting reduced prices for each unit. Sometimes a customer may make a credit purchase which takes some time to settle. Audi offers discounts for customers paying within a specified time period so as to encourage them to pay without much delay. Audi offers a variety of models that have unique features. Therefore, the company charges different prices for each of the models in order to reflect the benefits that customers can derive from each of them (Nieuwenhuis, 2003, p. 178). For instance, the S6 model will be offered at a price of  £53,995 while Q5 is offered at a lower price of  £31,880. This means that at a higher price of  £53,995, a customer will enjoy the use of a V8 engine that has deactivation technology. Going rate pricing strategy is applied when a company introduces prices similar to its direct competitors. Examples of Audi direct competitors include BMW, Aston Martin, and Chevrolet. The company has priced some of its model within the same range of what the direct competitors are offering. For instance, the Audi R8 is going for  £91,975 while the Aston Martin retails at  £90,995. Audi has a significant competitive advantage in the UK market in form of highly technology. The company is planning on introducing new S models that will have a unique feature of a V8 that