Monday, September 30, 2019

Emotional Eating Essay

Emotional eating is a disorder that involves the intake of food as motivated by an individual’s emotional state instead of biological processes (Canetti, Bachar, & Berry, 2002). Even if an individual is not hungry or already full, eating still continues as response or coping mechanism for certain emotional states, usually negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, confusion, loneliness, or sadness. Emotions related to stress also cause emotional eating. The common view of emotional eating is as a temporary condition triggered by the onset of certain emotions. Commonly, this becomes a problem for people only when this has progressed to other problems such as depression or obesity. Nevertheless, the number of people experiencing emotional eating supported efforts to address the emotional problem in clinical practice. Emotional eating could also lead to serious physiological and psychological health problems if unresolved as well as comprise the possible manifestation of other underlying clinical problems. Addressing emotional eating becomes a preventive measure and solution to more serious problems. Existing interventions include psychiatric counseling and diet monitoring by a nutritionist (Field et al. , 2008). However, the treatment of emotional eating depends on individualized diagnosis (Buchanan, 2004) because of variances in the causes and manifestations of the condition in different people. Emotional eating is a disorder with environmental and psychological components. These two components explain the causes and manifestations of emotional eating and point to intervention or treatment options that should consider these two components. The environmental component of emotional eating refers to two causes of the disorder. One is social eating or the common practice of socialization around food. Social gatherings usually bond around food with people consuming more than usual to celebrate an occasion. It is also common for friends comforting each other and providing support, to eat comfort foods that are usually high in sugar. The other is the childhood habit of food as a means of expressing care or reward resulting to the development of emotionally driven attachment to food in adulthood. The celebration of every success is food, with the quantity reflecting the value of the success to the person. All situations requiring comfort also calls for food intake. (Field et al. , 2008) The psychological component revolves around stress as the trigger for emotional eating. Stress elevates the cortisol levels of individuals. Cortisol is a hormone released by the body to respond to stress through heightened mental functioning or boost of energy. However, excessive release of cortisol could cause people to crave for food. Anxiety and depression could also cause people to eat to calm themselves or to ease their discomfort. (Canetti et al. , 2002) Current and Future Research and Treatment Directions on Emotional Eating The current research on emotional eating focuses on the causes and manifestations of emotional eating to diagnose individuals, the role of personality typologies in aiding diagnosis and identifying risk groups, the consideration of gender as a ways of determining risk groups, and treatment options. One explanation for emotional eating is general dissatisfaction. A study determining the propensity to engage in emotional eating of individuals, by using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, indicated that people placing themselves at the lower levels of the needs hierarchy have a higher propensity to eat to ease their dissatisfaction. (Timmerman & Acton, 2001) Mood association evolved as another explanation for emotional eating. Depression and negative moods have strong effects on emotional eating. The motivation for emotional eating is to experience the well-known pleasure in eating food, especially comfort foods such as sweets or junk food. Taking of midnight snacks due to the inability to sleep because of anxiety, depression and bad mood supported the association. (Bekker, van de Meerendonk, & Mollerus, 2004; Grilo & Masheb, 2004) Human ecology also emerged as a causal explanation for emotional eating. The positive factors associated to food determine emotional attachment to food in times of anxiety, depression or stress. The media also tempers people’s emotional attachment to food. (Field et al. , 2008) Research on the means of diagnosing emotional eating and other closely related eating disorders focused on personality typologies to help in identifying risk groups. People with personality disorders comprise a significant number of people diagnosed with emotional eating and other eating disorders (Picot & Lilenfeld, 2003). Individuals with low self-esteem are also more susceptible to eating disorders (Beeker et al. , 2004). Impulsiveness and thrill-seeking behaviors are also more likely to develop eating disorders with the fulfillment of cravings made to satisfy the need to experience new sensations (Grilo & Masheb, 2004). Gender, age and race are also focus of studies on risk groups for emotional eating. The study of night eating showed that men are more likely to eat food after dinner (Grilo & Masheb, 2004). Women and minority groups have greater concerns over shape and weight due to media influence and cultural norms leading to the perception of food as tempting pleasures. This leads to the attachment of comfort and pleasure to food. (Patel, Pratt, & Walcott, 2003; Ross & Wade, 2004; Vingerhoets, Nyklicek, & Denollet, 2008) There are two interlinked research trends on interventions for emotional eating. One is prevention through early detection via psychological tests. The questionnaire for eating disorders (Q-EDD) could be a diagnostic measure for emotional eating intended to apply to all eating disorders (Callahan et al. , 2003; Milos et al. , 2005). This is a general diagnostic test for all kinds of eating disorders with psychological components. The emotional eating scale (EES) remains an important specific tool in determining people susceptible to emotional eating as well as identifying the existence of concurrent disorders such as depression or personality disorders. (Palmer, 2005; Courbasson, Rizea, & Weiskopf, 2008) Interviews are important diagnostic tools in determining case history and personality factors (Callahan et al. , 2003; Palmer, 2005). The other research trend is treatment, which could be either inpatient or outpatient depending on the co-occurrence of other disorders. The goal of treatment could be the achievement of healthy weight through behavioral weight management programs, alleviation of physical complications, management of co-occurring psychological disorders through drug administration and/or psychotherapy, and ensuring non-relapse through self-help strategies (Pritts & Susman, 2003). Other interventions include anxiety and stress management, diet, exercise, and an overall healthy lifestyle for people without co-occurring psychological disorders to stop emotional eating. A number of alternative treatments exist to stop emotional eating by targeting stress such as acupuncture, relaxation exercises, and herbal medicine. (Cleary & Crafti, 2007)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Hero’s in Greek Literature Essay

In modern times the word hero can be used to describe many different people. For example, a scientist that develops a cure for AIDs would be thought of to be heroic. Or perhaps one might deem teachers heroic for shaping the youth of tomorrow. Although these jobs are noble, they would not be deemed heroic by the Greeks. Today’s definition of a hero is comparatively broad to that of which the Greek’s would have considered the term of hero to describe. More accurately, a hero is someone who puts themselves in a position of death in order to obtain a morally just cause. This idea of self sacrifice is what makes a hero. In Greek literature, especially in poetry, there are several examples of heroes and heroines. I will specifically discuss Achilles of Homer’s Iliad, as well as Antigone in Sophocles Antigone, and why their character is of heroic stature. In early Greek literature, such as Homer’s Iliad, a hero was more parallel to the concept of a warrior. In book I of The Iliad, Achilles is not just portrayed as a warrior, but is in fact introduced as â€Å"godlike† (Homer, 107). Achilles is an exemplum of one of the defining characteristics of epic poems in that he possesses godlike qualities, such as superhuman strength. In epic poems, the intervention and presence of the Greek gods is a persisting trait. Achilles is born of both mortal and immortal persons, his father a militant mortal Peleus and his mother the sea nymph Thetis. Due to these qualities and over the course of the poem, Achilles proves himself to be the most capable warrior of all. Moreover, Achilles also proves himself a hero by surmising to the idea of self sacrifice. It has always been known that if Achilles kills Hector during the Greek and Trojan War, he will at some point be put to death by the gods. As described in book IX, â€Å"My mother Thetis, a moving silver grace, tells me two fates sweep me on my death. If I stay here and fight, I’ll never return home, but my glory will be undying forever. If I return home†¦ my glory is lost but my life will be long,† (Homer, 141). Therefore Achilles does have the option of going home and living a long life. However, it is the death of Patroclus, Achilles best friend, that sways him to fight even though a sure death will come. This choice is namely why Achilles is a hero. Another central theme to a Greek hero is that he is unable to be destroyed by any other man and therefore a central theme of self- destructiveness exists (Whitman).

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Airtime HTH

We then asked them to rate Airtime HTH on a set of relevant factors based on their current performance. We then correlated both the results to find how the Airtime HTH performed in contrast to its brand Image in the market. Airtime digital TV is an Indian direct-broadcast satellite service provider owned and operated by Birth Airtime. Its satellite service, launched in 2008, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in India. It uses MPEG-4 digital compression with DVB-SO technology, transmitting using the satellite SEES 108. EYE.As of 28 November 2014, Airtime digital TV has total 383 Channels and Services including 25 HAD channels. Its primary competitors are Dish TV, Data Sky, Evidence duh and cable elevation providers. It has a total subscriber base Of 9. 54 million as Of 30 September 2014 The survey was conducted through online medium. We designed a questionnaire and asked people to fill it. The participants belonged to North Indian states of Punjab, Harlan, Whimsical Pradesh, Attar Pradesh, Delhi and Registrar. The questionnaire was filled by 271 respondents which included people from all the age groups and both the genders.The aim of conducting the research was to know: Market share of Airtime HTH in a sample of the population. Consumer behavior toward the product. Customers preferences for buying Airtime HTH. Driving factors for buying Airtime HTH. Pop holes in the service provided to the customer; and to come up with solutions to further improve the services required by the customer. We conducted live interviews of Airtime set top box dealers in Changer region through which we came to know about the salient features that a customer keeps in mind while buying a HTH service. On the basis of interviews, we included the following issues in this research: C] Price of set top box Ease of installation Number of channels Signal strength User Interface Monthly Charges Ease of payment After sales services Ability to record programs Flexibility in choosing channel packages Offers/schemes provided by Airtime HTH These are the general features that a customer keeps in mind while buying a HTH service, that is why these were included for conducting the survey. Conducting the interviews helped defining the research process.It focused our attention to the specific issues that were required to include in the research. Following are the issues that we have identified which have been included on the survey: Price Brand Image Number of Channels Signal Strength Ease of Installation Ability to Record Program Flexibility in Choosing Channels Offers/Schemes Quality of Sound and Video Importance of the selected issues to research Price: It plays a great role in buying behavior of the customers as one can spend according to on?s income.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Neanderthal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Neanderthal - Essay Example They also used arrow and spear to capture animal for food. Neanderthals used to hunt in small groups through surrounding the intended prey. During that time, they had the capacity of identifying the best animal for their consumption. They substantiated the meat they hunted with other natural roots and leaves. Women and other weaker members of the society also used to gather fruits to be consumed together with the hunted meats (Mason 78). Neanderthals make stone tools. However, this was during their old period of their emergence. Some of the stone tools made were used for slaughtering animals, digging, construction of their dwelling areas, and for other house hold activities. Stone tools were made by qualified member of the society. These specialists were among the most respected members of the society. As time move on, Neanderthals adopted other forms of tools. They came up with other tools which were more appropriate at that time. Some of the common tools at that time were stone flakes and all-purpose scrappers. These tools were used for all purpose of work in the society. During the upper Paleolithic, more tools were made from different materials and in different forms. The need for more specialist and tools for specific purpose necessitated the process. Craftsmen at this time also had specialist knowledge to make special tools from different materials. Some of the material which was used to make tools was bones, antlers, and some other right metals (McMullin 89). Neanderthal also used fire in their daily activities. At their early periods of their existence, Neanderthals were not aware of the existence of fire. They consumed raw meats, leaves and fruits. However, during their advanced ages of their existence, they developed the idea of the existence and use of fire. Neanderthals used fire in different facets of their lives. During this stage, they used fire to roast meat. They also used fire to warm their bodies at night and during cold seasons.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Role of Inflammation in the Development of Atherosclerosis Essay - 1

Role of Inflammation in the Development of Atherosclerosis - Essay Example Normal endothelium does not allow binding of white blood cells. It is only after the damage of endothelium, that a series of events is initiated which ensues in inflammation. In this essay, the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis will be discussed through the review of the suitable literature.  Atherosclerosis is a condition in which the wall of the artery thickens due to the accumulation of fatty substances like cholesterol and triglycerides (Binder & Witztum, 2011). The condition affects arterial blood vessels secondary to chronic inflammation of the innermost wall of the arteries and is mainly caused due to the accumulation of macrophages. Accumulation of macrophages is promoted by low-density lipoproteins. Stiffening of arteries occurs due to the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries. There are basically 3 groups of atherosclerotic lesions and they are progressive atherosclerotic lesions, nonatherosclerotic intimal lesions and healed atherosclerotic plaques (Lib by et al, 2011). Certain preexisting intimal lesions have intimal thickening and fatty streaks and adult lesions can arise from these Intimal thickening mainly involves the smooth muscles cells which lie in a proteoglycan-rich matrix. In early lesions, moderate cell replication can occur, but in adult lesions, they are mainly clonal. Fatty streaks are basically intimal xanthomata in which there is the accumulation of fat-laden macrophages. These lesions have lesser number of smooth muscle cells and the lesser number of T-lymphocytes. These are nonatherosclerotic lesions. In progressive atherosclerosis lesions, there can be stable or non-stable plaques. The plaques have intimal thickening with deposition of lipid. But there is no evidence of necrosis (Binder & Witztum, 2011). Smooth muscle cells and proteoglycans overly the area of plaques along with T-lymphocytes and macrophages. Healed atherosclerotic plaques are those which have had thrombotic lesions but have recovered.

Dell development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dell development - Essay Example Dell has to rethink its strategy of direct selling and is now attempting to sell through retailers globally. Although at every stage they have been quick in recognizing opportunities and translating it into action by innovating new products, but their profits and revenue has gone down remarkably. New product development requires ingenuity in product designing and creation and then market analysis. They did make extensive efforts to identify target group while designing the new products. Their ideas, concept and technology development were all in place but of late competition has overtaken them. They did capture a good market share not just in the US but even in other countries but due to their marketing approach and low-cost computers the advantage that they gained due to new product development was lost. While Dell did involve itself in all these activities, but research suggests that their direct selling concept seems to have now been the cause of their downslide. The right resourc es have also to be allocated to the NPD process, which is where Dell lacked.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Political Campaigns and the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Campaigns and the Internet - Essay Example â€Å"Americans spend more time surfing the internet than anyone else in the world, with users clocking up an average of nearly 28 hours a month.† (Paris, 2011). The access time spent on the internet by the American people has caught special attention of campaign planners for political parties and they are now focusing more carefully on website designing, blog generations, personalize emails and podcasts. Social networking sites are also getting more and more attention of these planners because social networking can target specific groups very easily for the fundraising, campaign and convincing. The Presidency election of 2008 had given birth to new domains in internet driven political campaigns and fundraising activities. The emergence of internet as a new medium of communication and campaign has changed the way political activities were supposed to be planned and carried out in the past. The ‘Change’ slogan was undoubtedly applied forcefully to the use of intern et at the largest scale in the campaign of the President Obama in 2008. â€Å"One of the many ways that the election of Barack Obama as president has echoed that of John F. Kennedy is his use of a new medium that will forever change politics. For Mr. Kennedy, it was television. For Mr. Obama, it is the Internet.† (Cain, 2008). The use of internet is beneficial for both the political parties and the audiences and political campaigns are now moving towards the ‘paperless campaign’ arena where there will be not broachers, pamphlets. Sooner or later these and many other conventional mean of political campaigns will turn into obsolete techniques and fast pace of information communication will also take over the political campaigns as well. The use of internet is specially beneficial because it has reduced the campaign costs dramatically. Internet when compared to other advertising mediums and technique is not only affordable for low budgeted campaigns but also very ef fective and amazingly fast technology. â€Å"The internet is a high-return, low-cost means of dispensing information. Campaigns can establish an internet presence for a very modest amount, compared to the costs of many other forms of advertising.† (Trent, 2008). The audiences of political campaigns are now better off with the introduction of internet and electronic media in campaigns. The can directly read the written policy statements and agendas of political parties and their leaders. Additionally, audience can easily compare and contrast these policies with those of other candidates in the same constituency. The can get the latest new and updates in a fraction of second without time consuming political gatherings and meetings. Today’s voter or prospect supporter is busier than ever before and the political campaigns consultants are aware of the limitations of their target audiences. They facilitate their voters with personalize emails for all political update, party stance, voting regulation changes, polling station details and many other information that may save their time and avoid any botheration. The fund-raising is far easier and rewarding through internet then conventional letters and television campaigns. Those expensive and time consuming fund raising campaigns are now replaced with the personalized emails sent to targeted political

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Discussion Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Research Methods - Essay Example Through learning, a person acquires new knowledge form another person who is knowledgeable in that particular field. This will also help the learner to be capable of performing various tasks especially at work. On the other hand, development is also concerned with improving the skills of people so that they can improve their performance at work. An experienced person can develop the junior employees in the organization so that they can effectively execute their tasks. Both training and development are specifically meant to improve the knowledge and skills of the employees so that they can improve their performance in the organization. This is meant to improve productivity in the organization since all the people involved would be better positioned to know what would be expected of them. In some cases, employees can undergo short courses outside the company where they are trained about certain aspects of their profession. This is usually done through workshops or seminars where the participants are taught new things that can be used to improve their performance. The participants are usually divided into small groups and they share their knowledge about different aspects that would be the focus of training. After different plenary sessions, the trainees will give feedback and this information will be used to generate new knowledge that can be utilised to improve the effectiveness of the people involved. Basically, training and development are more concerned with generating new knowledge that can be used to improve the performance of the employees in the organization. Development also helps to improve the skills of the employees so that they can also improve productivity in the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Changing a Partheid, But Not So Fast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Changing a Partheid, But Not So Fast - Essay Example Before summarizing the setting of the play, it is important to note something about the author of this play, and his purpose or message. The man who wrote this play is Athol Fugard. His parents were English and Afrikaner, and he was raised in South Africa, during apartheid, having been born there in 1932. While working as a court clerk in Johannesburg, he came to understand the evils of apartheid, and became an activist, writing plays about apartheid (Vienna Theatre Project 2). He alienated the government, in that way, and they removed his passport and years later they returned it. His award-winning plays spread apartheid awareness internationally, from marginalized theaters in South Africa, to famous theaters in London, and even to New York’s Broadway (Vienna Theatre Project 2). Fugard brings his criticism of the apartheid policies of the South African government to this play. However, through the character of Mr. M, Fugard also brings criticism of the policies of the African National Congress, which resisted the apartheid government (p. 2). That is a strong approach, especially for an activist who is well aware of the evils of apartheid, and has himself suffered under it. Good and evil are not as completely polarized in real life as they are in fairy tales. Mr. M represents the voice of a gray area, between the extremes. Isabel is white and filled with personal hope, raised to believe it is hers by right. Thami is black and cannot afford the luxury of hope without supporting street action for massive and immediate change (p. 3). Mr. M sees hope as a hungry beast that could potentially gobble up all of South Africa’s students (Chastang). He does not want to exercise the initiative to invite change abruptly. He is afraid that the inevitable backlash against activism for abrupt social change will put education further out of reach of his students. Mr. M is also an activist, because he is engaged in the visionary social action of education, but he i s older and more old-fashioned, and so he likes the relative safety of moving more slowly. He does not want to escalate risk, because education is critical to the future of the students. Mr. M is not fearful of insubstantial shadows, but of very real events and trends. The history of South Africa has not been peaceful. The Dutch killed and controlled the Xhosa. The British seized control of the area and the Afrikaner (Dutch descendants) moved their location to escape the British. Both the British and the Afrikaners defeated the Zulus. Then, war came between the British and the Afrikaners, and the British won. They later united to keep non-whites restricted (Vienna Theatre Project 4). The Afrikaner National Party came to power in 1948 and apartheid was firmly and miserably entrenched. The African National Congress was the Black answer to apartheid. It was backed by Communists (Vienna Theatre Project 4). In 1976, 15,000-20,000 Soweto students marched in protest of apartheid, intending to sing a song affirming solidarity and then go home. Unfortunately, the police over-reacted, released police dogs to attack the students and used tear gas. Students responded by throwing stones and bottles. The police started shooting students, without warning, Students reacted by setting fire to government property and the property of White businesses. The government called in massive reinforcements. Army helicopters dropped tear gas on the crowd. Entry and exit to and from

Saturday, September 21, 2019

An Analysis of the Stubbies Advertisement by Coca-Cola Essay Example for Free

An Analysis of the Stubbies Advertisement by Coca-Cola Essay The 2005 ‘Stubbies† advertisement by Coke-Cola owned soft drink company Lemon and Paeroa (LP) is constructed in such manner to produce ‘New Zealand’ within it text. The advertisement has been produced with particular attention and reference to New Zealand and New Zealanders, subjugating a sense of nationalism among viewers. This essay analyses and explains how LP creates and fosters a sense of national identity among viewers through elements of; nationalism, banal nationalism, and symbolism. The 1970s styled advertisement for LP was created by the production company Sliversceen Auckland. The storyline shows a formally dressed suited male entering a tailor shop and becoming acquainted with the casual clothing item of ‘stubbies’ shorts (Vist4ads 2005). These are an iconic clothing item associated with rural New Zealand and are coupled with values such as practicality and comfort. A range of men are then shown in variety of situations depicting the versatility of the stubbies shorts. Although a great deal of focus is given to the stubbies shorts, the item being advertised is the soft drink LP. It is drunk throughout the commercial, and the advertisement suggests that both stubbies shorts and LP are essential items of iconic ‘kiwi’ culture. This is reinforced through catchphrase ‘You were there and so was LP.’ The use of personal pro-noun ‘You’ connects and involves the audience with advertisement through the nationalistic branding technique of ‘co-creation (ZALA VOLCIC and MARK ANDREJEVIC 2011).’The reliance as brand placed upon consumers to build and disseminate the brands identity. The brand LP has constructed their advertisement in a particular way which leaves a reliance on consumers to reflect, build and distribute brand identity of being an iconic ‘kiwi’ favourite soft drink through drawing on their proud heritage and positive pastimes which make up New Zealand identity and culture. The consciousness of a space as a nation requires a level of imagination: a sense of people affiliating to the same state who negotiate and construct meanings. The definition of a nation requires a construction of representation of an image (Bell 1996). LP strives to be an iconic image which in turn encapsulates the embodiment of what it means to part of the nation of New Zealand. Media scholar Claudia Bell states that the building of a nation is not all natural, rather facilitated through socialisation mechanisms that guide us a citizens (Bell 1996). The advertisement aims to guide viewers to reflect on time when men wore ‘stubbies’ and ‘everyone just left their keys in the car anyway’. The portrayal by LP of these events is suggestive that these were ‘the good times’ for New Zealanders. The viewing population of New Zealand absorbs these values, reflections and associations with LP as assumptions of identity, which are unconscious taken on board. The connective association with LP and New Zealand national identity is an is an implicit marketing tool by Cola-Cola in order the present LP as New Zealand ’s drink of choice and a natural feature of a nation as summarized through the slogan â€Å"world famous in New Zealand since ages ago.† This reminds the viewer that a nation can only be formed through history which makes us unique as a nation. Production and construction of ‘New Zealand’ in the advertisement occurs through the advertising construction and production of banal nationalism. Banal nationalism is a concept founded by Michael billig which argues that the consistent reference to the everyday representations of the nation conceptually forms expressions of nationalism such as forming an imagined sense of national solidarity and belonging among those united in a national sense. Billing claims that everyday expressions of nationalism can be as important and reactivate as the representational flag-waving of nations. (PRIDEAUX 2009) Banal nationalism is repeated throughout the LP advertisement in a variety of ways. Firstly the sense of implied unity through the advertisements plotlines desires to be ‘our’ story and a snapshot of everyday New Zealand in the summer time of the 1970s. This is achieved through the voice-over language and popular expressions throughput the advertisement such as the colloquiums â€Å"back in the day† and ‘Kiwi’s.’ The casualness of the phrases projects a sense of understanding and unity among the New Zealand audience. The LP drinking New Zealanders shown the advertisement embody characters which are portrayed as typical ‘Kiwis’ in 1970s such as the small Maori boy with a large afro hairstyle posed next to his bike and the characteristic rural New Zealand bloke complete with singlet, jandals, and a mullet. Banal nationalism also occurs through the advertisement portrayal of typical New Zealand scenes which are familiar with such as the dairy, the rural country side, and a summer barbeque. These are relatable settings to almost any New Zealander and enables personal reflection. The symbols of banal nationalism symbols are most effective because of their constant repetition, and almost subliminal nature, therefore a very powerful marketing and advertising tool. The production of ‘New Zealand’ occurs in the LP advertisement through the placement of a range of symbols which are an attempt to reference and embody New Zealand as a nation. The repeated image of the kiwi bird along the window in scene when a stubbies clad male is impressing a pretty girl is not a coincidence. The kiwi bird is the product of New Zealand and being used to repeatedly remind viewers of their place in the nation, a process Michael billing describes as being ‘flagged,’ a term coined by nations overuse flying nation flags. The kiwi is iconic since the bird is native to New Zealand. The advertisement also couples the kiwi with other iconic symbols associated with New Zealand and national pride such jandals, and the act of a large summer barbeque which are symbolic of deeper meanings to the New Zealander such as relaxation and family. New Zealand indigenous symbols such as the kiwi bird that are distinctively New Zealand are particular important in the production of nationalism within advertisement simply as they are not British. Historically New Zealand derived symbols of national identity from the motherland such as Britannia (Bell 1996). The kiwi build nationality as it is naturally occurring and guides New Zealanders as citizens. Symbols are closely interlinked with national identity as they draw associations among viewers. The production of national symbols like the kiwi into this advertisement that is selling bottled soft drink is not random, rather an attempt to associate the idealised images associated with the symbol and merge with the marketed product o f LP. The advertisers wish to make LP symbolic and iconic and to naturally compel viewers to place LP into their symbolic category of what embodies New Zealand as a nation and what it is to be a New Zealander. New Zealand is multicultural nation and this has been understood by the advertiser by portraying a range of different New Zealander within the thirty second video clip. This is most effectively portrayed in the end scene of summer barbeque. The barbeque is made up both Pakeha and Maori attendees who seen chatting, relaxing, and drinking LP. The use of people who literally look like they are New Zealanders localises the advertisement for effective absorption of values. Although New Zealand has many cultural issues such as regular Treaty of Waitangi disputes, these are brushed aside and New Zealand mixed culture is produced and perceived as positive. Although LP is part of a global multinational company Coke-Cola this is ignored and the advertisement is produced with a distinct New Zea land feel leading consumers to believe the drink is of local origin, in particular the small town of Paeora which the drink shares its name. The advertiser claim ‘world famous in New Zealand’ also slants towards the projection the soft drink is locally produced and therefore competes on a level international soft drinks cannot. (Bell 1996). A key component of nationalism is an understanding of history and the intermingled of both of New Zealand major ethnic races pays homage to New Zealand colonial past and assimilating cultures. LP understands that the world is rapidly changing and globalisation is rapidly expanding and increasing the dominance of transnational marketplace therefore produced affirmation of ‘New Zealand† and nationalism with their stubbies advertisement to showcase and assert distinctiveness of the nation’s unique local, regional, and national identity (Bell 1996). â€Å"Any nation’s existence relies on some sense of loyalty to that nation, on patriotic sentiment, on awareness of nationalism. A sense of shared purpose, a pride in a place, acknowledgment of national success. All these combine in a sense of belonging (Bell 1996)†. Michael Billing noted that Billing noted that every day we are reminded that we belong to a nation through routine occurrences including using passports, the language of political speakers, the media and academia (Billing 1995 ). However through examination it has become apparent that nationalism has become a tool by advertisers to foster nationalist feelings to their audience. The advertisement establishes and produces New Zealand as a nation and then reproduces and represents New Zealand as an LP loving nation. In advertising, the power of recognition is manipulated for economic ends. The ‘stubbies’ advertisement shows an idealised version of New Zealand is order to create a collective inter est in the product. Bibliography Bell, Claudia. Inventing NZ: Everyday Myths of Pakeha Identity. Auckland: Penguin Books, 1996. Billig, Michael. Banal Nationlism . London : Sage Publishing , 1995 . PRIDEAUX, JILLIAN. Consuming icons: nationalism and advertising in Australia. Nations and Nationlism (School of Political Science and International Studies, The University of Queensland) 15, no. 4 (2009): 616–635. Vist4ads. LP stubbies. 2005. http://www.visit4ads.com/details.cfm?adid=20954 (accessed 08 2, 2013). ZALA VOLCIC and MARK ANDREJEVIC. Nation Branding in the Era of Commercial Nationalism. International Journal of Communication 5, 2011: 598–618.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Red Meat and Protein

Red Meat and Protein Avitta Olivero    Red meat as a source of protein Introduction Meat and processed meat products are a vital source of protein, lipids and other nutritionally important functional constituents which are essential components in a human diet. The two main categories of meat are red and white meat. As per nutritional concepts, the red meat is referred to as the one which is reddish in appearance in raw state and has an elevated myoglobin content in it. Red meat category which is highly consumed by humans include beef, lamb, pork and processed meat products. White meat is the one with a pale appearance and mainly includes poultry, veal and rabbit. Protein are macromolecules which are composed of long chains of amino acids and are referred to as the building block of the body as it is present in every single cell in the human body. It is vital to include protein containing food in the diet as it essential for major functions include growth and repair and is a major energy source of the body. Among the different food stuffs meat and meat products supplies the necessary protein in human diet. Protein is present in both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. As per the New Zealand nutrition foundation animal food as well as plant sources such as soya and quinoa supplies the essential amino acids which are important for the body functions. This essay specifically focusses on analysing the importance of Red meat as a source of protein. Literature review Nutrient profile of meat A critical analysis on the nutritional composition of any food is essential for any study on human nutrition. Meat has become an integral part of human diet. Meat is a complex structured food which includes components of biological value such as micronutrients (minerals and vitamins), proteins, fats and low level of carbohydrates. As Per the Food Standards Australia New Zealand the meat includes the flesh with skeletal muscle and fat as well as offal which include the internal organs of the animal. Meat comprises about 75 % moisture content 20 % protein, 3 % lipid and 2 % soluble non-proteinaceous compounds (Briggs Schweigert, 1990). Meat serves as a vital source of proteins, vitamins such as vitamin B6, B12 and vitamin D, Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids and minor levels of trace elements such as zinc, iron, phosphorus, bioactive compounds like carnitine, carnosine, ubiquinone and several antioxidant compounds. All these nutritional contents of meat make it an essential component of human diet (Williams, 2007). Importance of Protein in human diet   Ã‚   Proteins are nitrogenous compounds which are constituted of amino acids. There are about twenty aminoacids which are vital for the growth and other cellular functions. Amino acids are mainly categorised in two: essential and non-essential aminoacids. Non-essential aminoacids are those which can be synthesized by the body and those which cannot be synthesized by the human body and supplied via the diet are essential amino acids (Hoffman Falvo, 2004).Animal protein is the appropriate source of protein as it includes the essential amino acid content in it and hence it is essential to in include animal based food in the diet. Animal based food include meat and meat products (Pighin et al., 2016). Red Meat protein Meat is composed of higher concentration of proteins which includes the structural proteins such as myofibrillar protein, sarcoplasmic proteins and proteins that are present in connective tissue such as collagen and elastin (Pighin et al., 2016). Meat is a complete source of protein as it includes all essential amino acids such as lysine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine. Protein concentration differs in both raw and cooked meat as the nutrients get more concentrated during cooking process due to the depletion of water content in the meat and the meat proteins exhibit higher digestibility ratio. As per the studies, 100g of raw red meat contain about 20-25% of protein whereas in 100g of cooked red meat the protein content is about 28-36% as the protein profile is modified after the cooking process. Beef and pork are considered to have the highest protein content in them. The U. S Dietary Reference Intake (USDRI) recommend a daily intake of 0.8g/kg of protein for adults which is the basic requirement for the proper functioning of the body and this prescribed intake rate of protein by USDRI lowers the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and diabetes particularly type-2 diabetes (McNeill, 2014). Evaluation of meat protein quality Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score(PDCAAS) is a standard methodology recommended by world health organization and food and agriculture organization (FAO/WHO) to estimate the protein quality. In this method the protein quality is estimated by expressing the content of the first limiting essential amino acid of the test protein as a percentage of the content of the same amino acid content in a reference pattern of essential amino acids (FAO/WHO, 1990). The resultant value obtained by this method was taken as the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) and highest possible score in this method is 1.0. As per the PDCAAS method the protein quality score of red meat is estimated to be 0.9 whereas the protein quality score is between 0.5-0.7 for plant based food. According to Schaafsma, the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score is considered to the reliable method for estimating the quality of proteins consumed in the human diet (Williams, 2007). Table showing the protein quality rankings according to FAO/WHO (Williams, 2007). Near-infrared spectroscopy Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy is an ultra- sensitive, rapid and less complicated analytical technique that aids in the assessment of chemical constituents present in the meat sample (Osborne, Fearn, Hindle, 1993).Near infrared spectroscopy is an advanced method that is widely employed in the quantitative analysis of fat, protein and moisture content in meat and meat products. The differentiation between various classes such as beef and kangaroo meat, chilled and non-chilled beef was possible by the near-infrared spectroscopy method. Sample preparation has a vital role in this method as the non-homogenised muscles absorb bulk amount of energy and generating a less accurate reflectance pattern in comparison with the non-homogenised muscle sample. Inaccurate preparation of meat samples adversely affected the clarity of the prediction of chemical composition of meat sample is equivalent to the protein quantity of the food sample.(Prieto, Roehe, Lavà ­n, Batten, Andrà © s, 2009) Other nutritional constituents of red meat   Ã‚   Fat Fat is considered as the important repository of energy that supplies the necessary fatty acids and serves as precursors for various metabolic mechanism in the body. The fatty acid content in red meat are saturated in nature because the unsaturated fatty acid is transformed to saturated form by the microbes present in the rumen. The major saturated fatty acids present in red meat are palmitic and stearic acid. The fatty acid content varies when the fat is trimmed off from the meat.(Gerber, 2007) Vitamins Vitamins are organic compounds that are present in minor concentration in food and are important for metabolic functions. The major vitamins present in meat and meat products include vitamin B12, B1 (thiamine), B6 and vitamin D. vitamin B6 acts as a coenzyme for several chemical reactions in the human body such as gluconeogenesis. The vitamin B6 concentration are expected to be in the range between 0.40-0.6mg/100g of meat. Vitamin B12 which is commonly known as riboflavin. The vitamin B12 involved in human metabolic process includes the Methyl cobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosyl cobalamin (Rivlin Pinto, 2001). Vitamin B1 is vital for normal cellular functions and serves as a coenzyme in various chemical process in the body. (Gerber, 2007) Minerals and trace elements The major minerals which are prevalent in red meat are the iron and zinc. The highest concentration of these minerals is observed in beef and pork meat(Williams, 2007).The iron content present in red meat is the heme iron rather than the non-heme iron contained in plant based foods. The heme iron is readily absorbed by the human body and this absorption rate is enhanced by the protein present in red meat. In meat, the factors such as phytate, tannin, oxalate and fibres are absent in red meat which can adversely affect the iron absorption rate. Similarly, the zinc absorption from animal based food is relatively higher than that from plant based food stuffs. The vital trace element found in meat is the selenium which are an integral part of selenoproteins which includes enzymes that are involved in important process such as anti-oxidative defence mechanism, synthesis of thyroid hormone and nucleic acid (DNA), fertility and reproduction.(Gerber, 2007) health benefits of Red meat consumption Emergence in the research of red meat as a source of high bioavailable irons, high grade protein and other essential nutrients is on high as great importance is given in the improvement of stamina and vitality. Middle age and beyond requires more consumption of high grade protein which is essential for the maintenance quality of life associated with the required muscle strength and mass. Protein causes a stimulation effect on the anabolism of muscle protein. (McAfee et al., 2010)Amino acids present in red meat are branched chain amino acids, which are necessary for the synthesis of protein. Red meat contains the highest amount of branched chain amino acids. (Ford Caspersen, 2012) Demerits: Previous studies reveal people with excess intake of red meat have been found to have higher cholesterol and higher plasma concentration of total cholesterol and Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides(TG) as compared to low and medium consumer of red meat as well as vegans and vegetarians. There have also been studies showing significant relation between red meat and risk of colon cancer. Cooking red meat at higher temperature leads to the development of mutagenic compounds such as HCAs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are responsible for various cancers. There are also evidences that show the saturated fatty acid content in red meat can be linked with chronic heart diseases. (McAfee et al., 2010) Summary Red meat is a rich source of nutritionally rich compounds which are essential in a human diet. Meat is a potent source of protein and it supplies the major amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body termed as essential amino acids. The nutrient composition of meat includes fat, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements that makes it an inevitable part of human diet. Certain studies do show red meat is harmful when consumed in higher amounts and when cooked at higher temperatures, hence a proper monitoring on the cooking practices and consumption of red meat is essential to maintain a healthy diet. References Briggs, G., Schweigert, B. (1990). An overview of meat in the diet. Advances in meat research (USA). Ford, E. S., Caspersen, C. J. (2012). Sedentary behaviour and cardiovascular disease: a review of prospective studies. International journal of epidemiology, dys078. Gerber, N. (2007). The role of meat in human nutrition for the supply with nutrients, particularly functional long-chain n-3 fatty acids. ETH. Hoffman, J. R., Falvo, M. J. (2004). Protein-Which is best. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 3(3), 118-130. McAfee, A. J., McSorley, E. M., Cuskelly, G. J., Moss, B. W., Wallace, J. M., Bonham, M. P., Fearon, A. M. (2010). Red meat consumption: An overview of the risks and benefits. Meat science, 84(1), 1-13. McNeill, S. H. (2014). Inclusion of red meat in healthful dietary patterns. Meat science, 98(3), 452-460. Osborne, B. G., Fearn, T., Hindle, P. H. (1993). Practical NIR spectroscopy with applications in food and beverage analysis: Longman scientific and technical. Pighin, D., Pazos, A., Chamorro, V., Paschetta, F., Cunzolo, S., Godoy, F., . . . Grigioni, G. (2016). A Contribution of Beef to Human Health: A Review of the Role of the Animal Production Systems. The Scientific World Journal, 2016. Prieto, N., Roehe, R., Lavà ­n, P., Batten, G., Andrà ©s, S. (2009). Application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy to predict meat and meat products quality: A review. Meat science, 83(2), 175-186. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2009.04.016 Rivlin, R. S., Pinto, J. T. (2001). Riboflavin (vitamin B2). Handbook of vitamins. 3rd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, 255-273. Williams, P. (2007). Nutritional composition of red meat. Nutrition Dietetics, 64(s4), S113-S119.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Donato di Donatello :: Essays Papers

Donato di Donatello Donatello was one of the greatest sculptors of all time. His real name was Donato de Betto di Bardi. Donatello was born in Florence in 1386 and died at 1466. He grew up being called Donatello, which means â€Å"Little Donato.† There is very little known about Donatello’s family, except his father was Nicalo di Bardi a wool comber. There is no record of Donatello ever being married or having children. Donatello began his career as a goldsmith. At the age of twelve, he began working in the shop of the great architect Brunelleschi in 1399. Next, Donatello had the opportunity to work as an apprentice for the most famous sculptor of the time Lorenzo Ghiberte. He assisted Ghiberte in constructing and decorating the famous bronze doors for baptistery in Florence. Each bronze door contained fourteen sculpted panels with scenes from the New Testament. It took Ghiberte almost twenty years to complete the doors. This experience of studying under Ghiberte continues to influence Donatello’s style of sculpting for the rest of his life. Donatello’s first work of art, which was recognized, was a larger than life, statue of St. Mark. The statue measured seven feet nine inches and was sculpted out of marble. This was his first great sculpture. It took him more than two years to finish. The thing that is most remarkable about the statue is the penetrating gaze of St. Mark. â€Å"Michelangelo is reported to have said that he had never seen anyone who looked more like a honest man then Donatello’s statue of St. Mark.† Donatello’s earliest sculptures were very realistic In 1415 Donatello was commissioned to sculpt a statue of St. George, the slayer of dragons. The statue stands today in Florence. It took him two years to complete the six foot nine inch statue. The statue of St. George is that he seems very alive. The youthful looking St. George is dressed in a full suit of armor and his eyes are fired on his sword arm. Although, the statue stands firmly you almost sense that he is ready to move. The body language of St. George suggests a person ready for battle. The face and pose of St. George is very vivid and controlled that is compared to the classical Greek and Roman sculptures. By the time Donatello was in his late thirties, wealthy people were buying his sculptures. The Medici family of Florence commissioned most of his works.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Formal Application :: Free Essay Writer

The Ambiguity of Death Since the creation of man, certain primal urges have been imprinted into the human being’s psyche. Out of many of those the instinct of death is included, probably stemming from the necessity of killing to obtain one’s food. The instinct of death remains today and has been changed, adapted, suppressed and exemplified. In "A Formal Application" the ironic theory of applying death as a way of life is portrayed through a man’s act of killing a bird. The poem flows through the practice, planning and execution of a common bird. The climax of the poem comes when he refers to his act of violence as an "Audubon Crucifix". Through various examples in history he validates this unnecessary crucifix. "A Formal Application" rejoins the human race by immortalizing the importance of death. The structure of the poem is separated into three sections containing three stanza’s each. There is no apparent rhyme scheme making it a free verse and prose piece. The setting is outside, most likely close to the speakers house, and surrounded by forest and wildlife. It takes place in the mid 1900’s and probably in the spring-time. This piece is compiled of nine triplets separated into three sections. The first section of three triplets starts with the speaker honing his knife throwing skills. In the first section the speaker starts his training. By this practice he automatically tells us that he wants for this action to happen perfectly. By perfecting his skills he confirms to us the importance of this act to him. In the first stanza he begins to learn how to inflict pain with his knife by throwing it. He molds a kitchen utensil into a fatal weapon by enhancing his throwing skills. The second stanza shows his progression from merely throwing the knife, to hitting a target. The last stanza involves him targeting a moving object. This indicates he will be inflicting harm on a living thing with his weapon of choice With his means of weaponry defined we learn he still needs not only a moving target but a living one. The next section of triplets signifies his planning and enticing of his prey. In the first stanza he starts to weave his lesson of deception by "teaching" the birds. By tricking the birds into thinking he is a source of food, he gains the necessary element of surprise he needs for his later crucifixion.

Danegeld: Survival and Demise Essay examples -- Literature

And that is called paying the Dane-geld; But we've proved it again and again, That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld You never get rid of the Dane.# Poet Rudyard Kipling outlined it best with his poem Dane-geld, first published in 1911. Even though it was written as an allegory for the relations of humanity at large, the specificity of the source demands elucidation in regard to how such a metaphor even came into existence. While no society plans for its own destruction or subjugation intentionally, the realities of such actions are a matter of historical fact. One such instance, and indeed perhaps the most pivotal of all such events for the English-speaking world, is the creation of the Dane-geld in pre-Norman Britain and how the efficiency of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in collecting the national tax led directly to their downfall. There were indeed other factors involved in the success of the Norman Conquest in the latter half of the eleventh century but without this pre-existing, self-sufficient means of funding, which was used to fuel William the Conqueror's military machine in post-1066 campaigns, it is doubtful that the immediate impact of the invasion - the nearly complete replacement of the Anglo-Saxon hierarchy with Norman rulers - and the devastation of northern England, through the genocidal acts of the Harrying of the North, could have been achieved. This essay will outline the process by which the Dane-geld came into existence, its impact on Anglo-Saxon society and its immediate use by Norman invaders in taking this preexisting system and turning it against its creators in order to subjugate and control them in what would prove to be the most important invasion in the western world un... ... Anglo-Saxon England, 500-1087. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1984. Loyn, H. R.. Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest. 2nd ed. London: Longman, 1991. Williams, Ann. Kingship and Government in Pre-Conquest England, c.500-1066. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. Williams, Ann. The English and the Norman Conquest. Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: Boydell Press, 1995. Williams, Ann. The World Before Domesday: The English Aristocracy, 871-1066. London: Continuum, 2008. Primary Sources The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. London: Everyman Press, 1912. Translation by Rev. James Ingram (London, 1823), with additional readings from the translation of Dr. J.A. Giles (London, 1847). Online: http://omacl.org/Anglo/ Dane-geld, A.D. 980-1016. Kipling, Rudyard. First published in 1911. Online: http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_danegeld.htm

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Difference between Branding and Brand Equity Essay

â€Å"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending†. (Bard qtd. in. ThinkExist. com) This quote shows one fact that the process of ‘branding’ is endless. Because, simply, when ‘brand equity’ is known or measured, the brand could be protected and managed properly. This essay aims at giving an overview of the ‘branding’ and ‘brand equity’ terms or concepts to show the difference between both of them. And due to the fact that â€Å"both terms are usually defined around the concept of adding value to a product (or service)† (Binnie 17), it could be hard for some people to differentiate between both of them. That’s why the best approach to realize the difference between ‘branding’ and ‘brand equity’ is to dig and search in the literature to define both terms to know what is meant by each one of them. However, before separating each term from the other -to know the difference between both of them-, let’s move to the real world to have an idea about a simple fact concerning a certain brand (Coca-Cola in this case). This interesting example –mentioned by Blackett- deserves to be mentioned here to realize how important a brand could be for a company. â€Å"By mid-2002, Coca-Cola Company’s stock market value reached $136 billion, while the business net asset value (the book value) was only $10. 5 billion†. (5) The interesting fact here is when we add this information to the fact that: â€Å"The value of Coca-Cola brand for the same period (mid-2002) was estimated by $70 billion (over half of the $136 intangible value mentioned above! . † (Blackett 5) Then, after realizing the importance of ‘branding’ to the company in the marketplace -in the previous example-, it’s time to know what is meant by both terms, ‘branding’ and ‘brand equity’. First of all, a ‘brand’ is defined by the Dictionary of Business and Management as â€Å"a name, sign or symbol used to identify items or services of the seller(s) and to differ entiate them from goods of competitors. † (qtd. in. BuildingBrands Ltd. ) However, a ‘brand’ is more than a name, a sign or a symbol. In another word, this definition is not sufficient to describe the term ‘brand’. Grimaldi gave a better definition for the term ‘brand’ as â€Å"a combination of attributes, communicated through a name, or a symbol, that influences a thought-process in the mind of an audience and creates value. † And this is what Blackett assured when he mentioned that â€Å"the visual distinctiveness of a brand may be a combination of any of the following: name, letters, numbers, a symbol, a signature, a shape, a slogan, a color, a particular typeface. (3) Also, Davis (2) defined the ‘brand’ term as â€Å"all the promises and perceptions that an organization ‘wants’ its customers to feel about its product(s) and service offerings. † (2) Now, moving to the ‘branding’ concept or term, according to Davis (1), ‘branding’ is a complex ‘process’, but its goal is simple: it is the creation and development of a specific identity for a company, product, commodity, group, or person. † (3) Grimaldi mentioned an interesting definition for ‘branding’: The blend of art and science that ‘manages associations’ between a brand and memories in the mind of the brand’s audience. † And this blend â€Å"involves focusing resources on selected tangible and intangible attributes to differentiate the brand in an attractive, meaningful and compelling way for the targeted audience. † Now, after understanding what is meant by both ‘bra nd’ and ‘branding’ terms, it’s time to know what is meant by ‘brand equity’ term or concept. The ‘brand equity’ concept â€Å"emerged in the early 1990s†, (Tuominen 96) and introduced in marketing literature in the 1980s† (Rajh 1) and before mentioning definitions of this term, it is necessary to realize that â€Å"brand equity is the key to understanding the net impact of marketing† (Reynolds and Philips qtd. in. Binnie 16) According to Hoeffler and Keller, â€Å"most definitions of brand equity rely on ‘brand knowledge’ structures in the minds of consumers –individuals or organizations-† (421 qtd. in. Binnie 17). And Pullig gave a simple definition to the term ‘brand equity’ as â€Å"consumer brand knowledge†. Keller also defined the ‘brand equity’ term as â€Å"the ‘differential consumer response’ from ‘knowing’ the brand†. (qtd. in. Binnie 17) According to Keller and Kevin, ‘brand equity’ is â€Å"the value of the brand in the marketplace† (qtd. in. Pullig). McDonald added another dimension when she defined it as â€Å"the stored value built up in a brand which can be used to gain ‘market advantage’† (2). So, after studying these definitions, it is obvious -as Tuominen mentioned- that â€Å"there are three key ingredients in the ‘brand equity’ definition and they are: (1) brand knowledge, (2) differential effect, and (3) consumer response to marketing. † (75) Finally, according to these definitions, it is obvious that (1) ‘branding’ is the process of creating, developing, protecting, and managing the special identity of the product, or the ‘brand’ (to differentiate it in the marketplace) and it is not only marketing effort, it includes all the companies efforts to build this differentiation; (2) the ‘brand’ is the end result of that process or the combination of all the tools used to create this special identity of the product; and (3) the ‘brand equity’ is the ‘feedback’ of the ‘branding’ process or the key to measure, assess, or weigh the end result ‘brand’ –as we saw previously in the Coca-Cola example- and compare it with what is desired or planned in the ‘branding’ process. In another word, ‘brand equity’ will show whether the ‘branding’ process and other marketing efforts (or even public relations) are on the right track or not.

Monday, September 16, 2019

History Dbq Essay

Despite the common English backgrounds, societies in the New England and Chesapeake regions of Colonial America had split off into two incredibly different cultures: A very religiously focused New England and the more economic-oriented Chesapeake. Because these regions were settled for different purposes, the development of these societies led to the distinctions between them. One of the major causes for emigration from England to North America was religious persecution. Religious tolerance in Britain for other Christian sects besides the Anglican church was virtually nonexistent, resulting in many members of other sects to seek religious haven in the colonies. The vast majority of immigrants coming to New England were followers of Puritanism who traveled to North America for strictly religious reasons. As shown by Document B, the first member listed (and therefore most prominent figure) on of one of the ships bound for New England was a minister, underlining the importance aspiring New Englanders placed on their Puritan beliefs. Consequently, the cities created by these pilgrims were built with Puritan customs in mind, establishing towns under strict guidelines conforming to things such as a religious town leader and how much real estate is distributed among the residents (Document D). Desire to achieve the ideal Puritan city stretched out across all of New England, as shown by Boston, Massachusetts who’s mayor John Winthrop wanted it to model the ideal Christian city, a â€Å"city upon a hill† that provided other Puritan towns a perfect example of what to be like (Document A). This overarching religious influence defined every aspect of New England society from blatantly patriarchal domestic life to the superstitious paranoia that led to the misguided hunting of witches. New England towns also put an emphasis on education, mostly so people could be able to read the bible. Harvard, in fact, was established to train members of the clergy rather than providing educations in philosophy and science. New England immigrants arrived in North America with religious intent, and so it was that their society was defined by their religious customs. Contrary to the pilgrims of New England, those who settled in the Chesapeake area colonized the region for more economic purposes. Many people who settled in the Chesapeake were down-on-their-luck English citizens living in swamps and slums hoping to stake it out in the New World, because it couldn’t be much worse than the conditions they faced back in England. Most received their tickets to America through indentured servitude, paying for their trip with a few years of free labor for a wealthy master. Document C is a roster of indentured servants bound for Virginia who are all set to work for the same master. Indentured servitude had long lasting effects on the colonies, the most impactful being Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 (Document H). This uprising was caused former indentured servants who had no land or property of their own once their work contracts expired. Because the land westward was populated by Natives and therefore almost impossible to acquire, the dissenters focused against the rich and powerful members of the colonies. The successful uprising led to reforms such as work regulations explained in Document E, as well a shift away from indentured servitude and towards slavery of blacks. Other settlers besides indentured servants were aspiring traders and gold-hunters mentioned in Document F. While traders had little success early on and treasure hunters definitely didn’t find their fields of gold, they did help establish a more economic focus in the Chesapeake region. One major result of this was the development of a merchant class that wasn’t seen in New England. These merchants were responsible for the large amounts of overseas trade done with Europe and the West Indies that occurred in the Chesapeake region. However with this trade-based society came boom & bust economy cycles and an attack on Virginia by Dutch pirates in 1673 (Document G). Education wasn’t nearly as important as it was up North since most young people learned a trade rather than going to school and learning to read scripture. Settlers in the Chesapeake area arrived with the intent of economic success, creating a more labor-based culture that made religion take a backseat to things like trade and property. Whereas the New England part of colonial America was settled by Puritans looking to model their cities after their religious beliefs, the Chesapeake area was populated by people looking out for their economic interests. The simple differences in intentions for immigration proved to be the reason for the formation of a fundamentalist society and a trading society.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

What recommendations do you have for Amberly as potential avenues for consideration?

The conflict with B&N and McGraw-Hill is a business issue that needs thorough analysis as well as the accurate identification of the key players in the conflict. It is readily identifiable that B&N is trying to weasel out of the situation with the book publisher. On the other hand, the book publisher also blames the college bookstore for poor sales of their books. The university professors play a significant role in the whole process because they are the ones who identify which books should be ordered and used by students.Amberly should also consider that some book publishers provide incentives to university professors when they choose which textbooks to use in their classes. If for example, a significant number of professors choose a McGraw-Hill textbook, then the publishers would have a fairly good idea of how many books they would sell and the profits they would make. However, the college bookstore had not been performing with their expectations so they now are charging a restocki ng fee which would make up for their targeted sales (Walter, Ritter & Gemunden, 2001).Amberly should also factor in the used book market which has significantly affected the selling of new books. Since most college textbooks are already very expensive, students generally would prefer to buy used books and B&N College bookstore actually operates its own used-book division. Since the bookstore makes more profit in selling used books than new books then it would be in their interest to sell more of the used books than the new books.McGraw-Hill is actually forcing B&N to increase their sales of new books. Amberly should make it a point to provide an alternative solution to the predicament. Such as making it clear how the university should deal with the issue, whether to review the terms of their agreement with B&N College, whether to ask B&N to submit a detailed sales inventory and make it clear what their priorities are; selling used books or selling new ones.And since the university g ets something from the sales of new textbooks, it should also look into whether they need to ask professors to requires students to use the latest edition or the new textbooks. Reference Walter, A. , Ritter, T. & Gemunden, H. (2001). Value creation in buyer-seller relationships, theoretical considerations and empirical results from a supplier’s perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 30, 365-377.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Reviews on Financial Risk Management Essay

The definition and types of financial risk III. Risk management and the theoretical foundation IV. The process of financial risk management V. The challenges faced by the modern financial risk management theories ?Abstract? Financial risks are exposures of uncertainties for those participants in financial market. Financial risks can be divided into four categories: market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and operational risk. Risk management has become more and more crucial for a market participant to survive in the highly competitive market. As the development of the global financial market, there are many phenomena that cannot be explained by traditional financial risk management theories. These phenomena have accelerated the development of behavioral finance and economic physics. The financial management theories have already improved a lot over the past decades, but still facing some challenges. Therefore, this report will review some important issues in the financial risk management; introduce some theoretical foundation of financial risk management, and discuss the challenges faced by the modern financial risk management. I. Introduction Financial risk is one of the basic characteristics of financial system and financial activities. And financial risk management has become an important component of the economic and financial system since the occurrence of financial in human society. Over the past few decades, economic globalization spread across the world with the falling down of the Bretton Woods system. Under above background, the financial markets have become even more unstable due to some significant changes. Many events happened during the decades, including the â€Å"Black Monday† of the year 1987, the stock crisis in Japan in 1990, the European monetary crisis in 1992, the financial storm of Asia in 1997, the bankruptcy of Long-Term Capital Management in 1998, and the most recent global financial crisis triggered in the year 2008. All these changes brought enormous destruction of the smooth development of the world economy and the financial market. At the same time, they also helped people realized the necessity and urgency of the financial risk management. Why did the crisis happened and how to avoid the risk as much as possible? These questions have been endowed more significant meaning for the further development of the economy. Therefore, this report will review some important issues in the financial risk management; introduce some theoretical foundation of financial risk management, and discuss the challenges faced by the modern financial risk management. II. The Definition and Types of Financial Risk The word â€Å"risk† itself is neutral, which means we cannot define risk a good thing or bad. Risk is one of the internal features of human behavior, and it comes from the uncertainty of the future results. Therefore, briefly speaking, risk can be defined as the exposure to uncertainty. In the definition of risk, there are two extremely important factors: first is uncertainty. Uncertainty can be considered as the distribution of the possibility of one or more results. To study risk, we need to have a precise description about the possibility of the risk. However, from the point view of a risk manager, the possible result in the future and the characteristic of the possibility distribution are usually unknown, so subjective factors are frequently needed when making decisions. The second factor is the exposure to uncertainty. Different human activities were influenced at different level to the same uncertainty. For example, the future weather is uncertain to everyone, but the influence it has over agriculture can be far deeper than that over finance industry or other industry. Based on the above description about risk, we could have a clearer definition of financial risk. Financial risk is the exposure to uncertainty of the participants in the financial market activities. The participants mainly refer to financial institutions and non-financial institutions, usually not including ndividual investors. Financial risk arises through countless transactions of a financial nature, including sales and purchases, investments and loans, and various other business activities. It can arise as a result of legal transactions, new projects, mergers and acquisitions, debt financing, the energy component of costs, or through the activities of management, stockholders, competitors, foreign governments, or weather. (Karen A. Horcher). Financial risk can be divided into the following types according to the different sources of risk. A. Market risk. Market risk  is the  risk  that the value of a portfolio, either an investment portfolio or a trading portfolio. It will decrease due to the change in value of the market risk factors. The four standard market risk factors are stock prices, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, and commodity prices. The influence of these market factors have over the financial participants can be both direct and indirect, like through competitors, suppliers or customers. B. Credit risk. Credit risk  is an investor’s risk of loss arising from a borrower who does not make payments as promised. Such an event is called a  default. Almost all the financial transactions have credit risk. Recent years, with the development of the internet financial market, the problem of internet finance credit risk also became prominent. C. Liquidity risk. Liquidity risk  is the risk that a given security or asset cannot be traded quickly enough in the market to prevent a loss. Liquidity risk arises from situations in which a party interested in trading an  asset  cannot do it because nobody in the  market  wants to trade that asset. Liquidity risk becomes particularly important to parties who are about to hold or currently hold an asset, since it affects their ability to trade. D. Operational risk. Operational risk is the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems, or from external events. Nowadays, the study and management of operational risk is getting more attention. The organizations are trying to perfect their internal control to minimize the possibility of risk. At the same time, the mature theory of other subjects, such as operational research methods, are also introduced to the management of operational risk. Overall, financial risk management is a process to deal with the uncertainty resulting from financial markets. It involves assessing the financial risks facing an organization and developing management strategies consistent with internal priorities and policies. Addressing financial risks proactively may provide an organization with a competitive advantage. It also ensures that management, operational staff, stockholders, and the board of directors are in agreement on key issues. III. Risk Management and the Theoretical Foundation Financial market participant’s attitude towards risk can be basically divided into the following categories. A. Avoid risk. It is irrational for some companies to think that they can avoid the financial risks though their careful management because of the following reasons. First of all, risk is the internal feature of human activities. Even though it doesn’t have direct influence, it could generate indirect influence though the competitors, suppliers or customers. Moreover, sometimes it might be a better choice for the manager of the company to accept risk. For example, when the profit margin of the company is higher than the market profit margin, the manager can increase the value of the company by using financial leverage principle. Obviously, it will be harder to increase the value of a company if the manager is always using the risk avoidance strategy. B. Ignore risk. Some participants tend to ignore the existence of risks in their financial activities, thus they will not take any measures to manage the risk. According to a research of Loderer and Pichler, almost all the Swedish multinational companies ignored the exchange rate risk that they are facing. C. Diversify risk. Many companies and institutions choose to diversify risk by putting eggs into different baskets, which means reaching the purpose of lower risk by holding assets of different type and low correlation. And the cost is relatively low. However, as to small corporations or individuals, diversifying risk is somehow unrealistic. Meanwhile, modern asset portfolio theory also tells us that diversifying risk could only lower the unsystematic risk, but not systematic risk. D. Manage risk. Presently, most people have realized that financial risk cannot be eliminated, but it could get managed though the financial theory and tools. For instance, participants can break down the risk they are exposed to by using financial engineering methods. After keeping some necessary risk, diversify the rest risk to others by using derivatives. But why do we need financial risk management? In other words, what is the theoretical foundation of the existence of financial risk management? The early financial theory argues that financial risk management is not necessary. The Nobel Prize winner Miller ;amp; Modigliani pointed out that in a perfect market, financial measures like hedging cannot influence the firm’s value. Here the perfect market refers to a market without tax or bankruptcy cost, and the market participants own the complete information. Therefore, the managers do not need to worry about financial risk management. The similar theory also says that even though there will be slight moves in the short run, in the long run, the economy will move relatively stable. So the risk management that is used to prevent the loss in short term is just a waste of time and resource. Namely, there is no financial risk in the long run, so the financial risk management in the short run will just offset the firm’s profits, and therefore reduce the firm’s value. However, in reality, financial risk management has already roused more and more attention. The need for risk management theory and measures soar to unprecedented heights for both the regulator and participants of the financial market. Those who think risk management is necessary argue that the need for risk management is mainly based on the imperfection of the market and the risk aversion manager. Since the real economy and the financial market are not perfect, the manager can increase a firm’s value by managing risk. The imperfection of the financial market is shown in the following aspects. First, there are various types of tax existing in the real market. And these taxes will influence the earning flow of the firm, and also the firm’s value. So the Modigliani ;amp; Miller theory does not work for the real economy. Secondly, there is transaction cost in the real market. And the smaller the transaction is, the higher the cost. Last but not least, the financial market participants cannot obtain the complete information. Therefore, firms can benefit from risk management. First, the firm can get stable cash flow, and thus avoid the external financing cost caused by the cash flow shortage, decrease the fluctuation range of the stock and keep a good credit record of the company. Secondly, a stable cash flow can guarantee that a company can invest successfully when the opportunity occurs. And it gets some competitive advantage compared to those who don’t have stable cash flow. Thirdly, since a firm possesses more resource and knowledge than an individual, which means it could have more complete information and manage financial risks more efficiently. If the manager of a firm is risk aversion, he can improve the manager’s utility through financial risk management. Many researches show that the financial risk management activities have close relation to the manager’s aversion to risk. For example, Tufano studied the risk management strategy of American gold industry, and found that the risk management of firms in that industry has close relation to the contract that the managers signed about reward and punishment contracts. The managers and employees are full of enthusiasm about risk management is because that they put great amount of invisible capital in the firm. The invisible capital includes human capital and specific skills. So the financial risk management of the firms became some natural reaction to protect their devoted assets. In conclusion, although controversy is still going on about the financial risk management, there is no doubt that the theory and tools of financial risk management is adopted and used by market participants, and continue to be enriched and innovated. IV. The Process of Financial Risk Management The process of financial risk management comprises strategies that enable an organization to manage the risks associated with financial markets. Risk management is a dynamic process that should evolve with an organization and its business. It involves and impacts many parts of an organization including treasury, sales, marketing, tax, commodity, and corporate finance. Company’s financial risk management can be divided into three major steps, namely identification or confirmation risk, measure risk and manage risk. Let’s illustrate it using the market risk as an example. First, confirm the market risk factors that have a significant influence to the company, and then measure the risk factors. At present, the frequently used measure of market risk approach can be divided into the relative measure and absolute measure. A. The relative measure method It mainly measures the sensitivity relationship between the market factors fluctuations and financial asset price changes, such as the duration and convexity. B. The absolute measure methods It includes variance or standard deviation and the absolute deviation indicator, mini max and value at risk (VaR). VaR originated in the 1980s’, which is defined the maximum loss that may occur within a certain confidence level. In mathematics, VaR is expressed as an investment vehicle or a combination of profit and loss distribution of ? -quantile, which stated as follows: Pr ( ? p ;lt;= – VaR ) = ? , where, ? p said that the investment loss in the holding period within the confidence level (1 –? ). For example, if the VaR of a company is 100 million U. S. ollars in 95% confidence level of 10 days, which means in the next 10 days, the risk of loss that occurred more than 1 million U. S. dollars may of only 5%. Through this quantitative measure, company can clear its risks and thus have the ability to carry out the next step targeted quantitative risk management activities. (Guanghui Tian) The last step is management risk. Once the company identified the major risks and have a quantitative grasp of these risks through risk-measurement methods, those companies can use various tools to manage the risk quantitatively. There are different types of risk for different companies, even the same company at different stages of development. So it requires specific conditions for the optimization of different risk management strategies. In general, when the company considers its risk exposure more than it could bear, the following two methods can be used to manage the risk. The first way is changing the company’s operating mode, to make the risk back to a sustainable level. This method is also known as â€Å"Operation Hedge†. Companies can adjust the supply channels of raw materials, set up production plants in the sales directly or adjust the volume of inflow and outflow of foreign exchange and other methods to achieve above purpose. The second way is adjust the company’s risk exposure through financial markets. Companies can take advantage of the financial markets. Companies can take advantage of the financial markets wide range of products and tools to hedge its risk, which means to offset the risk that the company may face through holding a contrary position. Now various financial derivative instruments provide a sufficient and diverse selection of products. Derivative products are financial instruments whose value is attached to some other underlying assets. These basic subject matters may be interest rates, exchange rates, bonds, stocks, stock index and commodity prices, but also can be a credit, the weather and even a snowfall in some ski showplace. Common derivatives include forward contracts, swaps, futures and options and so on. V. The Challenges Faced by the Modern Financial Risk Management Theory Over the recent years, as the focus of risk management hifts from a control function to one of global financial optimization, the concern shifts from modeling the behavior of engineered contracts in selected markets to modeling the evolution of the entire economy. This change of focus calls for a vastly improved ability to model the time evolution of economic quantities. (Sergio Focardi). While those who do risk management are interested in predicting if assets will go up or down, the over-riding interest is in the relationship in movement to different assets. Though linear methods such as variance-covariance help to understand the co-movements of markets, a different set of tools is necessary to better manage risk. (Jose Scheinkman). Paradigms such as learning, nonlinear dynamics and statistical mechanics will affect how risk – from market and credit risk to operational risk – is managed. While the first attempts to use some of these tools were focused on predicting market movements, it is now clear that these methodologies might positively influence many other aspects of economics. For instance, they could be useful in understanding phenomena such as price formation, the emergence of bankruptcy chains, or patterns of boom-and-bust cycles. Lars Hansen, Homer J. Livingston professor of economics at the University of Chicago, remarks that these new paradigms will bring to asset pricing and risk management at enhanced understanding once the implicit underlying fundamentals are better understood. He says â€Å"What needed is a formal specification of the market structure, the microeconomic uncertainty, and the investor preferences that is consistent with the posited nonlinear models. Commenting on the need to bring together the pricing of financial assets and the real economy, he notes that an understanding of what’s behind pricing leads to a better understanding of how assets behave. â€Å"For risk management decisions that entail long-run commitments,† he observes, â€Å"it is particularly important to understand, beyond a purely statistical model, what is governing the underlying movements in security prices. † Blake LeBaron, professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Medison, observes that there is now more interest in macro moves than in individual markets. But traditional macroeconomics typically provides only point forecasts of macro aggregates. In the risk management context, a simple point forecast is not sufficient; a complete validated probabilistic framework is needed to perform operations such as hedging or optimization. One is after an entire statistical decision-making process. The big issue is the distinction between forecasts and decisions. (Blake LeBaron) Arriving at an entire statistical decision-making process implies reaching a better scientific explanation of economic reality. New theories are attempting to do so through models that reflect empirical data more accurate than traditional models. These models will improve our ability to forecast economic and financial phenomena. The endeavor is not without its challenges. Our ability to model the evolution of the economy is limited. Prof. Scheinkman notes that unlike in a physical system where better data and more computing power can lead to better predictions, in social systems when a new level of understanding is gained, agents start to use new methods. Prof. Scheinkman says â€Å"Less ambitious goals have to be set. Gaining an understanding of the broad features of how the structure of an economic system evolves or of relationships between parts of the system might be all that can be achieved. Prof. Scheinkman remarks that we might have to concentrate on finding those patterns of economic behavior that are not destroyed, at least not in the short-run, by the agent learning process. VI. Conclusion The theory foundation of modern financial risk management is the Efficient Markets Hypothesis, which notes that financial market is a linear balanced system. In this system, investors are rational, and they make their investment decision with rational expectations. This hypothesis shows that the changing of the future price of financial assets has no relation with the history information, and the return on assets should obey normal distribution. However, the study of economic physics shows that financial market is a very complicated nonlinear system. At the same time, behavioral finance tells us that investors are not all rational when making decisions. They usually cannot completely understand the situation they are facing unlike hypothesized. And most times they will have cognitive bias, when they use experience or intuition as the basis of making decisions. It will lead to irrational phenomena like overreaction and under reaction when reflected on investment behaviors. Therefore, it will be meaningful to study how to improve the existing financial risk management tools, especially how to introduce the nonlinear science and behavior study into the measurement of financial risk.

Friday, September 13, 2019

The UK Corporate Governance Code Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The UK Corporate Governance Code - Coursework Example From the research it can be comprehended that corporate governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. Boards of directors are responsible for the governance of their companies. The shareholders’ role in governance is to appoint the directors and the auditors and to satisfy themselves that an appropriate governance structure is in place. The responsibilities of the board include setting the company’s strategic aims, providing the leadership to put them into effect, supervising the management of the business and reporting to shareholders on their stewardship. The board’s actions are subject to laws, regulations and the shareholders in general meeting. The Code guides the board towards more effective practice. Its underlying principles are all those of good governance, they include accountability, transparency, probity and focus on the steady success of an entity over long term. The code is continuously changing to incorporate the alterati ons in the socio-economic environment. It has been reviewed in 2005, 2007 and 2010 in the recent past. The new code applies to the accounting periods beginning on or after 29 June 2010 and is applied to all the companies whether they are incorporated in UK or not. The approach that is followed since the beginning of the Code is to comply with it or explain why it is not being followed. It is referred to as â€Å"Comply or Explain†. ... According to the latest report on UK Corporate Governance Code by the FRC, the main principles for The Code are: Leadership. The board should be led by an effectively. The responsibility of heading the board by the Non-executive directors and the responsibility of heading the company’s operations by the executive directors should be equally divided. The Chairman is the head of the board as a whole whereas the executive directors are also led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company. The Chairman is responsible for the effective functionality of the board. He is responsible for ensuring the clear and efficient flow of information between the shareholders and the board. As per new reforms passed in 2011, female directors will also be introduced into the board structure (FRC, Consultation Document 2011). The board of directors has the power to hire fire and compensate senior management. Their purpose is to resolve the issues, specially relating to conflicts of interest s, between the decision makers and the risk bearers. Their control resolves the issue of high agency costs and facilitates the existence of an open corporation. Recent economic theory implies that the balanced structure of the board of directors is a crucial part of good governance (Baysinger, Butler, 1985). According to agency theory, shareholders interests are better protected if there is segregation between the duties of CEO and the Chairman. Where as, stewardship theory argues that the shareholders interests are maximized if both the roles are entitled to the same person. According to the author, a few test results show that stewardship theory is supported more than the agent theory (Donaldson, Davis 1991).

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Commitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commitment - Essay Example Unless one have commitment, a particular vision, strong zeal and a passion to create something in ones life he cannot reach his goals and he remains failure one in the society. The strongly committed sports persons will definitely achieve gold medals in the contests and the students get good results in their exams and in their life also. One more thing is only the commitment itself cannot make us a champion when we don't have a proper vision and correct approach. So we can say the commitment is a weapon which we should use in proper way to get the fruits of success. Even though one failed in achieving the goal, the commitment in his soul awakes him and works like a panacea and pats his shoulder and leads him towards his goal. We can understand that the word commitment is not a group of letters, its magazine of bullets, which we can shoot the target with using the arm. Hence, commitment is the rule that is important in an individual's life as well as in the policy of an organisation. 1

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

An evaluation of the ethics program of an organization, Assignment

An evaluation of the ethics program of an organization, - Assignment Example Discussion Background of Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is one of the branded American multinational retail players that operate numerous departmental stores as well as warehouse stores offering high level of discounts in varied items. It came into existence in the year 1962 by Walten Brothers in Arkansas. However, it became the popular among the public from the year 1970. Since then, it has created an image of presenting valuable products at an effective price. So, it holds the second largest position, as per Fortune Global 500 companies. As a result Wal-Mart became successful in creating a worthy image of presenting the products at lowest price to live a better life. So, it is voted as one of the most admired company in the market among others. Being headquartered in Arkansas, it operates successfully in more than over 8970 locations as the largest grocery retailer. However, in different locations, it works with different names but their goal is common, i.e. ‘to save money and live a bett er life’. So, Wal-Mart includes a high level of brand image and reputation in the segment of hypermarket or supermarkets or departmental stores as compared to many other rivals. ... In order to do so, the management of Wal-Mart joined hands with various NGO’s, government leaders as well as other retailers. With the help of such co-operations, the management aims to enhance the working conditions as well as the living standards of the workers in a significant way. This helps in enhancing the power of excellence and motivation of the workers, entirely responsible for producing the products for which varied types of measures are implemented such as: Promoting safety and security within the supply chain functions - in order to improve the safety and security of the supply chain, varied types of policies are implemented like zero tolerance policy. Side by side, the management also tried to maintain transparency with its contractors and terminated all the unauthorised ones. Such type of decisions proved effective for the organization as well as its employees. Safety from fire - in order to reduce the risk of fire, barred windows and doors that mainly existed on the staircases were shifted so that the fire may not spread more vividly. Moreover, all the doors and buildings also comprise of a secondary exists, so that in case of emergency, the employees might exit immediately. Due to the presence of such type of facilities, the security of the employees from fire also enhanced to a certain extent. Fire safety related training programs - in order to improve the knowledge and inner skills of the employees over the security of fire, varied types of training programs are also implemented within the organization. This helps the employee to know varied types of ways to save him or herself from fire. Education and training programs - With the help of implementation of these programs, the devotion and motivation of the employees over