Summary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Summary - Research Paper Example The nature of a designer personality has been understood in a variety of contexts. Broadly speaking, it’s understood that designer personalities constitute personalities or behavioral patterns that are ‘treated’ through a variety of pharmacological options. The late 20th century witnessed an explosion in this realm of health care. Still, it’s noted that, â€Å"the idea that personality is mediated by biological chemicals is not new; it dates back to Hippocrates and the ancient Greeks† (Carson 2008). Today, however, a myriad of personality characteristics are treated through pharmaceutical options. Such treatments began with chemical responses to such severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Chemical treatment for severe dysfunctioning soon gave way to chemical options for a variety of elements of personality. In these regards, pharmaceutical options exist prominently for the treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms, with Prozac and Zoloft, being among the most prominently prescribed drugs (Baghai & Rupprecht 2006). In addition to depression and anxiety, traits such as attention-deficit disorder are regularly treated through chemicals. There are a variety of advantages and disadvantages to the modern tendency towards ‘designer personalities’. Obvious advantages can be witnessed in individuals who contain severely debilitating personality disorders. For instance, it would be impossible for many individuals with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, or severe social anxiety to function without the aid of chemical intervention. Still, it’s clear there are a number of disadvantages. Perhaps the most prominent negative aspects of this occur with the glut of children diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder. Rather than restructuring the education system to adapt to the students, society has attempted to re-wire human consciousness. Another concern is that diversity of personality is an important part of a c reative and innovative culture. In simply medicating society to a perceived ideal, important and unique personality characteristics are being eliminated. In conclusion, this essay has examined what are termed ‘designer personalities’. In this context of understanding, it’s revealed that designer personalities are already a prevalent part of the contemporary cultural climate, as individuals are readily medicated for depression, anxiety, and a variety of personality ‘shortcomings’. Ultimately, while there are advantages for individuals with severe dysfunction, the disadvantages are the threat of a monotone culture. References Baghai TC, Moller HJ, Rupprecht R (2006). "Recent progress in pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options of major depression". Curr. Pharm. Des. 12 (4): 503–15. Carson, S. (2008). "designer" personalities . Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-art/200807/designer- personalities 2. One of th e largest-scale scientific undertakings in recent years has been the human genome project. The Human Genome Project is a multinational effort to identify and map the approximately 20,000 – 25,000 genes of the human genome (McElheny 2010). The project was launched in 1990 and in 2000 a working draft of the genome was announced (McElheny 2010). 2003 witnessed the development of a complete draft of the human genom

The advantages and disadvantages of online businesses

The advantages and disadvantages of online businesses Introduction The topic of online shopping has been of particular interest to practitioners, academics and marketing strategists and lot of research has already gone into determining whether these online companies are significantly different than brisk-and-mortar companies and if there are any systematic differences in consumer choice behavior between online and regular shopping (Eatock et al.,2002). There are some exceptional examples of online companies like Google, Yahoo and Amazon which have grown to become major global brands in their own right. These companies are purely online companies while there are others like Tesco.com who have hugely successful online operations but their online operations only supports their regular operation. This research does a feasibility analysis of a company going online and analyzes the effectiveness of the business model of online companies citing relevant examples. Analysis and Discussion Advantages of online operations Reach – Online companies can cater to a wider range of audience as compared to their offline counterparts. Eg. Companies like Amazon and eBay have a global reach. Low Cost the cost of spreading the message, advertising and in general the administration costs are lesser than regular companies and far more lesser when online companies reach economy of scale. Ease of shopping – Provides customers with a hassle free shopping experience whereby customers can sit at their home and shop at the click of their mouse. Choice – Gives customers more choice to choose from. Eg. Barnes and Noble has ten thousand books in its store and million in its online store Disadvantages Ease price comparison – Because customers can compare prices easily (now with price comparison sites like confused.com, moneysupermarket.com etc), it makes companies compete on price rather than product differentiation and other factors which means online companies have lesser margins. Security and reliability issues – With Internet and credit card fraud on the rise, people are becoming more and more cautious and reluctant of giving their bank details online. Information Overload – At times people get lost on the internet because there is too much information which makes them delay or refrain their purchasing decision. ‘Squeezing the tomato’ (Gallauher, 1999) syndrome – People still like to have a look and try products like clothes etc before buying it. Trust – Because customers do not deal with the actual person but with an internet process, trust is of the major issues. Shipping costs – Convenience comes at a cost and most often than not, people have to pay for their shipping if they don’t buy stuff above a certain price limit. Eg. Customers have to buy something greater than  £5 in TescoDirect to have it delivered free of cost. Disadvantages on online companies can be overcome but only if they view the customer experience from the eyes of their customer. Online businesses Illustrations are given of three types of online companies which are different in their operations, eBay, is purely an online auction company, Barnes and Noble is a book seller which has both online and offline operations, easyJet is a low cost carrier which follows a Web-based distribution strategy. easyJet easyJet is a low-cost airline which has made the Internet the core of its business. Its business model is based on cost efficiencies and by hacking cost and overheads at every possible stage it ensures a built-in business advantage by selling online and thereby cutting away the intermediaries like travel agents etc. Presently 85% of its sales are online and the company aims to sell all the tickets online by the end of this year and be the only ‘Web-only’ airline. (Web 1) Another noteworthy feature is the ease of online booking and security of its site. The passengers online experience reinforces confidence in the booking process. (Lynch, 2005) Underlying the use of internet is easyJet’s business philosophy of efficiency and cost cutting and its business model of reaching to the mass market which couldn’t have been done without the use of Internet. The internet helps it lower its distribution cost, reach mass audiences, give an indication of customer prefere nces and passenger demand helping in pricing and staying ahead of competition.(Ind et al.,2002) The result of efficient and effective use of internet by easyJet has propelled it into a rapidly growing airline based on sound competitive business principles with an innovative business model. easyJet has revolutionized the way Internet can be used as the most effective business tool. E-Bay E-Bay is a purely online company which sells and auctions nearly everything on the internet. Through the internet medium, it has completely transformed the concept of auctions into e-marketplaces which were once limited to garage sales and flea markets. (Light, 2001) The internet makes the auctions global making it reach a wider audiences (it has about 29.7 million registered users today (Web 2)). E-Bay’s business model is based again on low cost and maximum reach by automating the traditional methods of selling. It adopts a unique culture of rating buyers and sellers to encourage trust among its customers making them feel more confident transacting with a person they don’t know. This also ensures reliability of its brand which helps overcome the transaction security issue discussed earlier. E-Bay’s profits have soared to 400% and revenues have doubled in 2006 as compared to 2005. (Web 3) The success is not only on the revolutionary concept of e-auctioning but al so on the way it handles its internet operations. Barnes Noble Barnes and Noble is a US based book store which sells books both in its regular stores and online. It has a $62 billion worldwide market and its internet site brings more than 70% of its revenues.(Web 3) Barnes and Nobles success can be attributed to the way its online shoppers can look inside the books (table of contents, abstract and in some cases even read the first chapter of the book they are looking to buy). The internet also offers buyers a greater variety of selection which is not the case with book stores which are limited by space. According to a Goldman Sachs report on Internet retailing, book selling is third among the top dozen or so products ranked for online success. Books are ideal to sell on the Web because you don’t need to see them in person, try them on, or check out their freshness. (Kotler, 2002) Another unique feature of Barnes and Noble is its online search facility which is subdivided into titles, authors, year of publication and industry etc which mak es customers aware of the latest issues. Its Website also offers chat facility with chat groups dedicated to particular genres. Feasibility Study Success of the online businesses highlighted above should be generalized because every online business is not successful. Before considering to go online, a company has to do a feasibility analysis which should answer some key questions like: What are the goals and objectives of the company and why does it want to go online? What does the company want to achieve by going online? Who are and will be the companies target customers and what benefit will they gain from the company going online? Does the company want to add new products, does it want to reach a wider audience or both? What are the companies technological strengths ? What is the distribution system available through online market? Who are the companies online competitors? What is the online selling strategy the company is going to adopt? : What are the risks of extending the business online? Businesses have to ask these questions and should have definitive questions to the above questions before they launch their online operations. References Books and Journals Danneels, Erwin (2003), â€Å"Tight-Loose Coupling With Customers: The Enactment of Customer Orientation,† Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 24, 559-576. Eatock, J., Paul, R. J. and Serrano, A. (2002) ‘Developing a Theory to Explain the Insights Gained Concerning Information Systems and Business Process Behaviour: The ASSESS-IT Project’, Information Sytems Frontiers 4: 303–16. Gallaugher, J. (1999) ‘Challenging the New Conventional Wisdom of Net Commerce Strategies’, Communications of the ACM 42 (July): 27–9. Ind, N. and Riondino, M. C. (2001) ‘Branding on the Web: A Real Revolution?’, Brand Management 9 (September): 8–19. Kotler, P. and Bliemel, F. (2002) Marketing Management, Stuttgart: Schà ¤ffer-Poeschel Verlag. Light, D. A. (2001) ‘Sure, You Can Trust Us’, MIT SloanManagement Review 43: 17. Lynch,R (2005) ‘Corporate Strategy’, London, FT Prentice Hall Merrilees, B. and Fry, M.-L. (2002) ‘Corporate Branding: A Framework for E-retailers’, Corporate Reputation Review 5: 213–25. of Multiple Store Environment Cues on Perceived Merchandise Value and PatronageIntentions,† Journal of Marketing, Vo. 66 (April), 120-141. Websites (Web 1) How to put the money where the mouse is (online) (cited on 10 March) Available from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5hid=7[emailprotected]> (Web 2) A Taxonomy of Internet Commerce (online) (cited on 10 March) Available from (http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue3_10/bambury/index.html (Web 3) Global online companies Available from http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~wwcoins/popcompanies.htm>

Long overdue Conversation :: Drama

Long overdue Conversation Topic / Scripture : Using the time God gives us; the importance of family; Mat. 20:6 â€Å"About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, â€Å"Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?† Setting: Anywhere. The audience will assume that this is just a father having a conversation with his daughter, Could be in the kitchen, the living room, outside on the porch†¦anywhere. Characters: Don – the father. Tender hearted, he’s nervous, uncomfortable with this conversation, but intent on finally doing this right. Scene: Don is sitting on a chair facing the audience, wringing his hands, looking nervous but determined as he begins this conversation. Don: This is a little awkward†¦Just bear with me honey, we need to talk about some things†¦ I probably should have done this sooner, but you caught me off guard†¦you know? Yesterday you were playing with Barbies and riding your little pink bike with the training wheels still on. Then I turned around and you were going on dates, looking at colleges, wearing that goo on your face†¦(sheepishly and a little defensively) I got used to it. J I sure could have used more time in there somewhere. Another decade or two. Okay, so here we go†¦ Ummm†¦drugs are bad†¦don’t use them†¦they could rot your teeth†¦no, um, kill your brain cells†¦and stuff. You probably shouldn’t smoke either†¦yeah, I know I do, but you’re still too young, cigarettes really will rot your teeth. Plus, your mom really hates how they smell†¦so it’s better if you just don’t start. (At this point he pulls out a crinkled up piece of paper and spends some time smoothing it out and fidgeting with it, checking it, etc.) I, uh, wrote a list†¦J†¦I didn’t want to forget anything†¦you know, while I have momentum going and stuff†¦ Okay, so here’s the big one†¦it’s uh†¦well, this one’s really important†¦boys are†¦uh†¦boys are great†¦but, they’re still boys you know? So you’ve got to be really careful. You’ve got to be smart honey. You’re so smart, and funny. And you’re really talented and you’re beautiful. I’m not just saying that because I’m your dad. You really are. Boys call the house all the time for you. They do! Hey, I didn’t say we answer it every time, that’s why we have caller ID. No, I’m just kidding honey†¦kind-of. Anyway†¦(looking down at his list again)†¦so, you just need to be on your toes. Don’t believe everything they tell you. And you should probably bring a friend with you on your dates. Bring several friends. The more the merrier†¦(chuckles, but it’s clear he means it).

Industrial Development and Labor Movement Essay

The answer is FALSE. The development of industrial development contributed to the rise of labor movement. The significant change that was caused by the industrial revolution – the increased efficiency of production through the use of machines – has caused the displacement and alienation of human workers as machines have taken over the production process. The industrial revolution is one of the most significant highlights for the development of human history. It was an advent for the most important technological changes and advancement which translated to increased production efficiency – producing the most number of goods at the least amount of costs. However, the rise of giant industries which made use of machines in production has caused human skilled workers to be displaced from their jobs. The automation of production has made human labor less appealing and less needed. The advent of the rise of machines has caused severe changes in production and labor, and consequently it has driven profound social changes and also driven the economy to be more production efficient with little help from human labor (Hooker). Consequently, the displacement of human laborers and their seemingly less involvement in the process of production have made them less powerful in voicing out their demands. The mechanized production system has made them less represented and less significant in the industry, thus, factory owners didn’t regard them as assets in the industry. This turn of events marked the era wherein laborers didn’t have the ability to speak of their work-related grievances, they lost the voice to call out for fair treatment. In contrast to the earlier times wherein the small employer-employee relationship was prevalent, the workers had the ability and chances to address their demands to their employers. However, the increased automation of production system has also caused the growth of enterprises and the owners hired skilled professionals to more efficiently manage the workers. As a result, there existed a larger gap between the owners and the laborers, making it harder for the laborers to communicate directly to the owner to express their grievances (The American Labor Movement). Moreover, during these times, the workers were forced to work longer hours, getting the most work from them though giving them the lowest wage possible. And because of the production automation, skilled laborers and craftsmen were less valued and the number of unskilled laborers has significantly increased. Thus, these instances, developments and the further impoverishment and unequal treatment for laborers have resulted to the emergence of labor unions that advocated to protect the rights and welfare of laborers. Labor unions became a prevalent action in protecting the common interests of laborers, particularly issues regarding wages and working conditions. These labor and trade unions served as collective organizations that represented the interests of the working class. Moreover, labor unions were sometimes looked upon as political wings campaigning for equitable treatment from employers and lobbying for the implementation of laws governing labor relations. These labor movements focused on issues related on rank-and-file movements, collective bargaining conflicts and organizing political campaigns. These efforts flickered the hopes for industry workers to attain increased political influence to be able to push legislations that shall benefit their cause, and deflect labor laws that were inefficient in protecting the rights of laborers (Turner, 2001). The rise of labor movement became more prevalent in the newly industrialized countries. This happened as global transformations became more influential and encompassing – for example, the â€Å"relocation of low-wage areas, automation and the increasing use of unregulated work arrangements† – all of which contributed to the strong urge of forming a strict and rigid framework of a union that shall defend workers against unfair treatment. (Silver)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, in addition to the animation of production, there is another aspect of industrial revolution that has hastened the rise of labor movement. The unfair labor practices rendered by industrialized nations towards less powerful and poor countries have made it more appealing for workers to organize a movement that was geared minimizing these effects. As the industry grew larger and more powerful, industrialized countries have sought for new markets and new sources of cheap labor, wherein they can yield the most production with labor-intensive processes, with the least amount of costs possible. They utilized the presence of satellite countries wherein they can extract from them the cheapest raw materials, and wherein they can impose to make use of the human capital as a source of cheap and intensive labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Therefore, the rise of labor movements was sponsored by the industrial development. This happened in such a way that, as the industry flourished and became automated, it resulted in harsh treatment and displacement of the workers. This unfair treatment led workers to form unions that shall represent them as a whole in addressing their grievances and sentiments. The development of labor movements were hastened by (1) need for social mobilization and institutional change; (2) need for significant representation by workers; (3) call for industry changes; and (4) economic and political protectionism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The industry development happened in such a manner that it gave utter importance to machines and deliberately misappropriated the use of human skills in the course of production. It displaced the rights and abilities of craftsmen and haggardly made use of unskilled worker, as they offered cheap labor despite the intense labor work and long work hours. Consequently though, this instances and treatments have hastened the movements to revive the industry that is mindful of human existence and welfare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, industry development, coupled with intense form of exploitation, mistreatment, alienation and displacement for workers have eventually led to the emergence of labor movements. References Hooker, Richard. The Industrial Revolution. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from, Silver, Beverly. Labor Movements from a Global Perspective. The American Labor Movement. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from, Turner, Lowell. (2001) Reviving the Labor Movement. School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Cornell University.

The Poem Because I Could Not Stop for Death Explained

Death Stops for No One Jaime Hayes Death Stops for No One The poem â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† by Emily Dickinson is an extended metaphor on death, comparing it to a journey with a polite gentleman in a carriage taking the speaker on a ride to eternity. Through unusual symbolism, personification and ironic metaphors Dickinson subjugates that death is an elusive yet subtle being. Dickinson portrays death as an optimistic endeavor while most people have a gruesome perspective of death. This poem’s setting mirrors the circumstances by which death approaches, and death seems kind and compassionate.This poem is written in six quatrains. They are broken up into when she first meets death, through their carriage ride observing different stages of life to death and ultimately, to eternity. These quatrains give the poem unity and make it easy to read and interpret. The cadence of this poem, which is sneakily undulating, is lulling and attractive; you can almost ima gine it being set to the clomping of the horses’ hooves. Although the conversation is set between the speaker and Death, the horses’ hooves always seem to be in the background.The first quatrain starts out with the speaker communicating in past tense about death being a kind gentleman coming to stop for her, implying that she is already dead. Death is personified and introduced as one of the leading character and is also the focus of the poem; â€Å"Because I could not stop for death/ He kindly stopped for me. † (Dickinson, 1863, 1-2) By endowing death with human characteristics it becomes less frightening to the speaker as well as the reader. The fact that he â€Å"kindly† stopped is both a reassurance that his arrival was not unpleasant and an expression of the poet’s wit.It is ironic in a humorous way that death is kind. The speaker could not stop for death, meaning she is not ready to die, but death came anyway. Here, it becomes clear that deat h is inescapable and arrives on its own time. Death stops being an end and becomes instead the beginning of eternal life. When Death stops for her, he is accompanied by Immortality inside their carriage; â€Å"The Carriage held but just Ourselves/And Immortality. † (Dickinson, 1863, 3-4) The carriage is a metaphor for the way in which we make our final passage into death; a mode of transportation to the afterlife.At the time the poem was written a man and a woman were typically escorted by a chaperone, in this poem, Immortality is their chaperone. Immortality is also the reward or reason for the two, the speaker and Death, coming together. If the promise of immortality did not exist, one would never go along willingly, nor would one welcome death without fear. Dickinson begins the second quatrain as death’s journey, which is a slow, forward movement, which can be seen through the writing; â€Å"We slowly drove – he knew no haste. (Dickinson, 1863, 5) The slow r ide emphasizes the seriousness and solemn nature of this carriage ride or perhaps implies a slow and painful death by a debilitating disease. A sense of tranquility is felt here, as though the speaker is well acquainted with the fact that this ride will be her last. The speaker does not resist this ride but instead gives up her labor and leisure and succumbs to death; â€Å"And I had put away/My labor and my leisure too/For his civility. † (Dickinson, 1863, p. 6-8)The cadence of the poem begins to speed up as Death, Immortality and the speaker continue on their journey; â€Å"We passed the School, where Children strove/At Recess – in the Ring-/We passed the Fields of Grazing Grain/We passed the Setting Sun. † (Dickinson, 1863, 9-12) All three of these images suggest different stages of life; the children in the school yard at recess depict the early stages of life, the fields of grazing grain represent the middle stages of life and adulthood, the setting of the sun is the final stage of life.She notices the daily routine that she is leaving behind, but continues not to fight with Death. In this quatrain, Dickinson uses an anaphora â€Å"We passed† in order to help the poem progress as well as tie it together to reinforce that the different stages of life are passing them by. Here, one can assume the trip takes a while, as it was light when the journey began and now the sun is setting and night begins. The poem slows back down again as the fourth quatrain begins and death seems to be setting in; â€Å"Or rather – He passed Us. † (Dickinson, 1863, 13) This line refers to the setting of the sun from the previous quatrain.This symbolizes the transition from life to death, the sun passes them referring to how she is beyond the concept of time and she descends into eternity. There is a reference to the change in temperature and how the speaker is not dressed appropriately for this change; â€Å"The Dews drew quivering and c hill-/For only Gossamer, my Gown/My Tippet – only Tulle. † (Dickinson, 1863, 14-16) This quatrain suggests not only the literal coldness that comes from not dressing appropriately, but also the emotional coldness that occurs when dealing with ones death.The only physical entities that hold value to the speaker anymore are now her Gossamer gown and her tippet made from tulle. The fifth quatrain describes the grave or tomb the carriage has arrived at, relating it to a house; â€Å"We passed before a House that seemed/A Swelling of the Ground/The Roof was scarcely visible/The Cornice in the Ground† (Dickinson, 1863, 17-20) The way the grave is being described implies a sense of comfort for the speaker. Metaphorically, cornice in the ground is the speaker’s coffin, or more specifically the molding around the coffins lid. Here, it is the only visible part of the house itself.The graves description and the fact that there is no door, only a roof, suggests that t here is no escape from death once she enters the house. The poem ends with what seems like the speaker looking back on her life from her final destination in eternity. Time suddenly loses meaning, hundreds of years feel no different than a day; â€Å"Since then – ‘tis Centuries – and yet/Feels shorter than the Day (Dickinson, 1863, 21-22) The setting shifts in this last quatrain when the reader finds out the place in the beginning of the poem is from long ago and the speaker is telling this story long into the afterlife.Immortality is the goal hinted at in the first quatrain where â€Å"Immortality† is the other occupant in the carriage, yet it is not until this quatrain that we see the speaker has obtained it. As the speaker is looking at the past events through an eternal looking glass, she says that life, like the â€Å"Horses’ Heads† that picked her up, leads toward â€Å"Eternity. † In this last quatrain death ceases to be what d eath is, an end, but instead becomes an eternal journey of immortality.By ending with the word â€Å"eternity† the poem itself performs this eternity trailing off into the infinite. It is shown through Dickinson’s use of unconventional metaphors that no matter what one thinks about life and how busy one may be; death is never too busy to stop for anyone. Dickinson’s feelings are expressed through unusual symbolism to the reader; comparing death to a carriage ride with a kind gentleman and immortality. It is through the promise of immortality that fear is removed and death not only becomes acceptable, but welcomed as well.