Spirituality in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spirituality in Nursing - Essay Example The possibility of death makes a person fearful and his inclination towards spirituality grows to a great extent. Hence, spirituality plays an essential role in life of a person who is undergoing medical treatment. It has been found that the rate of recovery and attitude towards treatment is strongly affected by the spiritual and religious beliefs of a person. According to Baukhardt and Jacobson, spirituality provides meaning and inner strength to a person. Also, the introduction of the concept of alternative Eastern medicine and therapies to the Western people have changed the whole paradigm of medical treatment. People have started believing in the power of Eastern therapies and spiritual practices to heal their diseases and suffering. Moreover, it has been proved by the researches that spiritual and religious people respond more positively to medical treatment and show better outcome. The positive relation between spirituality and medical recovery has made it essential to include spirituality and religion as a part of treatment. Hence, it is essential for the nurses to understand and fulfill the spiritual needs of the client, as it not only helps in gaining the trust of the clients and building a healthy relationship with them, but also helps in curing the diseases completely, as spirituality is known to have the potential to heal the emotional and psychological problems, which are the root cause of the diseases. Definition Defining spirituality is not an easy thing as it encompasses different views, experiences and beliefs that are held sacred by different religions, cultures and traditions. According to Vink (2003), spirituality can be defined as â€Å"that aspect of every human being, rooted in our unique createdness that is on a sacred journey of completeness, sometimes seeking to connect with and trust in the divine being† (Shives, 2008, p.34). The definition shows that the need of spirituality arises from the emptiness that people feel inside th eir heart despite of having everything in their life. Moreover, this emptiness and powerlessness is felt more strongly when a person is suffering from physical or mental disease. Spiritual practices help people to feel connected with God and remove the feeling of emptiness. Hence, human elements like â€Å"love, compassion, caring, transcendence, relationship with God, and the connection of mind, boy and spirit† are used to define spirituality in the nursing literature (O’Brien, 2011, p.6). Different theories of nursing have aimed at helping the nursing professionals to assimilate spirituality in their care of the clients. However, the nursing theory that comes close to including all the spiritual aspects of caring into nursing practice is the â€Å"Theory of Human/Transpersonal Caring† by Jean Watson. Theory Of Human/ Transpersonal Care Jean Watson (1985), in her theory of nursing and spirituality, has given immense stress on importance of spirituality in the p rocess of nursing and care of a patient (Daniels, 2004, p. 1502). According o Watson, human being’s essential part is his soul and hence, if a person suffering from illness is to be healed, then connecting to a person on a level of soul is extremely important for a nurse (Daniels, 2004, p. 1502). Watson says that soul being the essence of human spirit, it provides human being with inner strength and helps him to

Sister Callista Roys Adaptation Model Assignment - 1

Sister Callista Roys Adaptation Model - Assignment Example With this exponential increase in the numbers of the aged, there also arises the dire need to age relevant physical activities that will assist them age well and in good health. This is where the Roy’s adaptation model can come in swiftly and handy too. Nursing theories are useful in framing, explaining or defining the provision of nursing care (Kelly, 2011, 24). The Roy’s adaptation model of nursing, a useful nursing theory, was developed in 1976 by Sister Callista Roy after she was challenged as a graduate student by Dorothy E. Johnson (a member of the faculty) to come up with a conceptual model for nursing practice. Basically regarded a system’s model, the Roy’s adaptation model regards the person as a set of intertwined biological, social and psychological functions in which the person in question endears to achieve a healthy balance between these systems and the environment (Kelly, 2011, 67). The model however reckons that there will never be an absolute level of balance but rather the person is to try and live in a way that allows him/ her to adequately cope/ adapt (Kelly, 2011, 72). The Roy’s adaptation model which involves a six-step nursing procedure basically entails four domain concepts of person, health, environment and nursing. In the model, person may be used to refer to people as individuals or in groups such as families, organizations, communities and the larger society. The person, functioning as a unity for some purpose, is an adaptive system described as a whole entailing entities and a bio-psycho-social being in incessant interaction with the varying environment. The person, as enshrined in the model, uses innate and acquired methods to adapt to the environment. The person is the adaptive system (Willis, Grace & Roy, 2008, 31). Adaptation is described under the Roy’s model as a positive response to environmental changes. Adaptation is the goal of nursing in the model and

Accounting Conservatism and Risk Taking Decisions

Accounting Conservatism and Risk Taking Decisions Introduction Manager is in a position of Captain in Charge in ship of the Organization, so that to make organization more beautiful Manager has duty to make an important decision on Corporate Investment. These types of decisions create Agency Problems because of the time interest differences between manager and shareholder. This research is carried out to understand how conservatism accounting reduces agency problems, and examines the effect of conservatism on manager’s high risk investment decision. This research also examine that whether accounting conservatism solves the misalignment of interest between managers and organization through increasing hurdle rates used by managers during project selections, and sheds lights on literature attempting to identify the relation between accounting conservatism and manager’s investment decisions. Motivation A study was conducted by Givoly and Hayn (2000), Beatty et al. (2008), and Khan and Watts in 2009, to measure accounting conservatism and firm’s characteristics such as size, leverage, and market-to-book ratio. They found evidences to support their hypothesis that accounting conservatism improves firms’ investment efficiency. According to Khan and Watts managers’ investment hurdle rates and induces conservative investment decisions are significantly increase under conservatism accounting, even when the agency problems are more severe this effect is more pronounced. According to the positive accounting theory accounting conservatism plays very effective role in the roll contracting process. Corporate investment is an important decision, but this decision are not always made in the best interest of shareholders, so many time manager invest in a risky and even negative net present value projects just because of their personal interest in of investment. Accounting conservatism is a reporting mechanism which reflects accountant’s trend to require lower threshold to recognise bad news than good news. Accounting conservatism helps to improve corporate investment by preventing investment in high risk or unsuccessful investment projects by early terminations of such projects. This early terminations of projects reduces managers compensation and increases managers interest of job turnover. If manager is rational to predict the accelerated recognition of losses, and the timely termination of unsuccessful projects, they will be more cautious to make the investment decisions. (Francis and Martin (2010) and Bushman et al. (2007)) The increased cautiousness to invest will be reflected in the hurdle rate, which used to evaluate an investment project. In theory, hurdle rate is as equals as the cost of capital; managers should not take decision to invest in a project if the return is lower than the cost of financing. Indeed hurdle rate is observed to be either lowers than the cost of capital in practice, because of managerial discretion. The result of the study state that Corporate governance role have established the roll of accounting conservatism in resolving information asymmetry, reducing agency costs, and improving debt contracting efficiency. (Ball (2001), Ball and Shivakumar (2005)) Literature Review There are many research has been carried out in about the relation of the accounting conservatism and manager’s risk taking decision. Ahmed and Zhang, 2009 found that accounting conservatism reduces information imbalance between lenders and borrowers, and also reduces cost of capital for borrowers. They also found that if conservatism cause financially constrained firms to under investment than the relation between conservatism and firm’s future performance will negative. On the other hand reduce overinvestment problem for financially constrained firms, than the relation will be expected positive. Another research carried out by Leuz (2001) and Guay and Vierrecchia (2006) and found that accounting conservatism force manager to avoid positive NPV projects, because Impaired incentives created for managers if gains not recognize timely untimely gain recognition, and manager force to avoid those types of positive projects. In particular, if gains are not recognize timely than manager will responsible for investment for those project, and may no longer be in the office by the time gains are realized. This is because always expect their future incentive rate higher in long term, than the firms required rate of return. If gains recognise by timely than even positive NPV for shareholder became negative for manager. Accounting conservatism increases corporate investment efficiency in two ways. First is, by timelier incorporating bad news into earnings, accounting conservatism inform the board’s investigation of the unsuccessful investment project that may lead to its early abandonment, saving shareholders from unexpected future losses (Watts 2003). On the other hand, the expected personal costs related to project such as compensation, reputation and career concerns would increase managers’ cautiousness in choosing investment projects at the outset. Extant studies by Ball and Shivakumar, 2005; Francis and Martin, 2010 believe that accounting conservatism can restrain managers to investing in negative NPV projects by accelerated loss recognition. In addition, if managers recognise ex ante about failure of particular project, they should record losses timely, because it will affect to their reputation and income as well, so manager should postpone investing in those project. Furthermore, Roychowdhury (2010) found that risky projects are mostly become negative projects, therefor managers try to avoid risky projects due to timely loss recognition, because it creates also risk-averse, even if the projects have profitability to shareholders. If managers know that the project is have many risks of failure, manager have to write losses more timely before failure of project, because manager’s reputation income linked with compensation will be affected by it, so that manager avoid to involve to invest in those projects, even though projects are profitable. Smith and Watts 1992; Kwon and Yin 2006 found that, firms with higher growth opportunities prefer to assets have higher contracting costs, because growth opportunities are often intangible in nature, so that information related to them are likely less verifiable. Therefore, managers have greater unrestricted power, and are more likely to manage earnings through accruals, so that agency costs are higher in high-growth firms. Furthermore high growth firms are more likely to have more volatile returns and higher probability of lawsuits, which creates a higher demand of accounting conservatism (Khan and Watts, 2009). Empirically, we use book-to-market ratio (an inverse measure of growth opportunity) to measure the growth opportunity of firms. Driver and Temple (2010) found that, if the manager is aware of the embedded risk a hurdle rate that is higher than the cost of capital will be used by the irreversibility of the investment project. Corporate investment is efficient in the situation where internal funds flow gives the highest returns from investment project. However, managers deviate from the optimal level of investment, because of dysfunctional investment incentives (Stein et al. 2003). These dysfunctional incentives can be reflected in the hurdle rates used to select projects. Finance textbooks state that managers should benchmark the investment return to the cost of capital, so that with the project with lower returns than the cost of capital are rejected. In addition, managers use hurdle rates which sometimes higher or lower against the cost of capital, it depends on the managerial incentives invest. Consistent with Hayn (2000),andWatts (2003), They found that both not only firm with goodwill purchased but also without goodwill have increasing trend in conservatism over time. Indeed He argue that lach of information will limit managers to random affect to recognize impairment losses agains their advantage timely. The following hypotheses are proposed for this study: H1 Accounting conservatism improves firms’ investment efficiency. H2 Accounting conservatism helps manager to recognize bad news timely. H3 Accounting consarvitism accelerates terminations of successful projects. H4 Accounting conservatism can restrain managers to investing in negative NPV projects by accelerated loss recognition. To testing hypothisese Basu’s (1997) used measure of conditional conservatism, because of theverification standerds of the hypotheses of recognizing bad newsand good news assumsions. (Richardson, 2006; Denis and Sibikov, 2010) they also examine relation between accounting conservatism with the component of investments by ussing total investments and changes in firm capital. This study conclued that accounting conservatism is an important monitoring and contracting mechanism, and its helps manger to recognize bad news timely,so that manager could increase their managerial interest regarding project. Indeed accounting conservatism accelerates terminations of unsuccessful projects, also study found that conservative accounting increases hurdle rates, in addition conservatism changes hurdle rate because it reducing the future financial cost rather than by increasing the efficiency of contracting with the managers. We also find conservatism adds value to firms. This study also sheds lights on relation between accounting conservatism and managers’ investment decisions. The study also show that the accounting conservatism negatively correlate investment and firms future operating performance.

How to Masturbate :: essays research papers

Creative Masturbation Contraptions and Techniques: Cotton Balls Put glitter on the outside too to make it look pretty: Take a roll of toilet paper or paper towels (depending on what's more comfortable for you), put glue on the inside, then stuff it with cotton balls. You'll have yourself a nice sex toy, all you have to do is put your cock in and go for it. ------------------------------------------ Mummified Wanking Even better if you can find a nurse to help with the prep work: Stroke until you get hard then "lightly" (or as tight as you want) wrap an ace bandage around your cock. Round and round you go, until you wrap it all the way around. You now have a perfectly shaped "tube pussy". Once that is complete, gently remove your dick from the bandage, take a condom (or latex glove), anything rubber and smooth. Stick your dick into the hole where your cock was. Pull the edges out around the bandage and get a rubber band.. Put it around the edge to keep the latex item in place. After that, lube up your dick and have a blast! It's tight, just like a real cunt. For best results, put a pillow under and over the bandage; sandwich it while you fuck it. Also, it's a no-mess situation.. Fuck the shit out of it, cum in it. then just throw the condom or latex item away.. The bandage will keep it's form for future use. ------------------------------------------ Balloon magic Nice: Get about four or five balloons. Fill them with warm, not hot, water. Tie the ends so water will not squeeze out. Take a pillow; roll it up like a tube and tie a string around it or even use your belt. Push the warm water balloons into the opening of the pillow tube. Your fleshy warm vagina is almost ready. Take a small plastic kitchen trash can bag. Push it in between the balloons in the pillow. Put some lubricant of your choice inside the plastic bag that is being tightly squeezed by the balloons. Get your dick ready. Put the pillow on bed. Put your dick inside this plastic vagina. You will feel the warmth, slipperiness and tightness you only dreamed of. ------------------------------------------ Baby Bottle Liner You first might want to throw away the box with the picture of the baby on it: They make 'drop-in' baby bottle liners.. get the 8 ounce size.. comes 20 or so to a box.

College: The Greatest Decision You Can Make Essay

â€Å"In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education†(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them stand out in job interviews. College helps develop skills that are necessary for life, and gives them an education that will enhance their future; and despite its few drawbacks, college is worth it. Americans today tend to believe that college is four years of partying and fun while earning a degree, and there is validity in that belief, but one must also include the four years of learning and hard work. One benefit of college is all of the fun activities that there are to take part in. These activities that college students take part in give the students two important things in life: stress management abilities and connections. Students work hard all week and then finally get the chance to relax and do something they enjoy on the weekends. That â€Å"down time† is spent relaxing, and trying to figure out a non-stressful way to complete all homework and projects and still go out for fun. The stress management relates to time management, as students want to do work in a logical time frame that keeps life easy. These two skills relate to life after college because once someone has a job they have to manage the stress of the job and complete tasks in a timely manner. On May 16, 2011, Paul Taylor and his research team from Pew Social & Demographic Trends in Washington DC conducted surveys and asked people if college was worth â€Å"it†. In reference to jobs â€Å"55% [said] it was very useful in helping them prepare for a job or career†. The data from the study supports my assertions of what college provides students with, which is a strong foundation for joining the work force. College also gives students connections. While taking part in activities students make friends and meet people with all kinds of goals for the future. These connections make life easier after college. Students meet friends that have connections to internships, jobs, summer programs and with the help of their friends, students can find themselves in one of these if not more resume building opportunities. Meeting new people and participating in activities make students appear very diverse in turn, more appealing to employers. Another benefit of college is the education that one receives. Not only does one learn about a specific field that other people only have general to no knowledge about, but they essentially become a specialist in a few areas. College forces people to pick their main interests and focus on them. The further they take their education, the more knowledgeable they become in particular fields. Picking a major and minor (sometimes double major and double minor) narrows choices when employers are seeking workers because they want people with a specific skill set, and specific knowledge. Most degrees can give students the opportunity to obtain high paying jobs. Now, while it is true that right out of college students obtain low paying jobs, it also has to be taken into consideration what field the former student is seeking a job in, and the level of their education. For example, if a student obtains a B.A. in management he/she will likely make less money because management is a large field with many people in it. The more people a certain field or job has, the less they will get paid because in the employer’s eyes they are not special, and more people with the exact same degree and qualifications can be found. Now, rewind, and say that same student has a B.A. in biology with a concentration in microbiology. With microbiology being a smaller and more competitive field, a student has the chance to make more money. The amount of jobs available for people with that special knowledge is limited. Employers would pay more because they do not want to lose someone with those rare skills and knowledge to another company. In addition, low paying jobs are not guaranteed to new college graduates, but are still a possibility. However, Anthony Carnevale and Michelle Melton claim that â€Å"rising demand, coupled with the persistent undersupply of college-educated workers over the last 30 years, has driven up relative wages for these workers†. Carnevale and Melton assert that there is a high demand of college-educated workers and that due to the lack of workers, wages are actually increasing. Though I concede that low wages are a possibility for college graduates, I still insist that the wages are higher than what they used to be, and the students could most likely earn more money by continuing there education on through graduate school. In addition, it is believed by the NPR staff writers that most of the low wages and the lack of jobs is due to the current recession. When the benefits and costs and drawbacks of college are compared, it is obvious that the benefits outweigh the problems. According to NPR, â€Å"..every college won’t always be worth it but, he says â€Å"the long-term trends about the average value of a college degree are very strong.† And he says a college degree is still in demand.† The biggest mistake someone can make is not going to college, and that is a decision that they will always regret. Works Cited Carnevale, Anthony P, and Michelle Melton. â€Å"Major Differences: Why Undergraduate Majors Matter.† Presidency Fall 2011: 30-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. The authors, Director of Georgetown University Center, Education and the Workforce and a research assistant, use information from their own school and statistics of wages of college graduates. They are credible because they add depth to the argument of what major a person decides on and how that decision effects their salary in the future. They discuss how not all degrees hold the same economic value and encourage students to not only think if college is for them, but what major is best for their future. Cohn, D’Vera. â€Å"Is College Worth it?† Pew Research Center. N.p., 16 May 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. . This source is from the Pew Research Center, in other words a place dedicated to finding facts. This source is credible because it is not opinionated and it is a broad survey of over 2000 people. This source also covers both sides of the argument. There are statistics that add to my argument and help to provide a counter argument for what is cited by Carnevale and Melton state in a separate source. The counter argument provided by this allows me to make my argument stronger and more concrete. Making Headlines Since The ‘70s: Is College Worth It?. National Public Radio. 18 June 2011. http://www.npr.org/â€Å'2011/â€Å'06/â€Å'18/â€Å'137257390/â€Å'making-headlines-since-the-70s-is-college-worth-it. Web. Transcript. 23 Jan. 2012. This broadcast/â€Å'article is a credible source because it is an unbiased source. NPR (National Public Radio) broadcasts to all demographics and is unbiased in its broadcasts. The staff writers point out how most people take the worst cases of college graduates and use them to stereotype all of them, when th at is not the case. They take a logical viewpoint on the issue and show that when the recession ends things will go back to normal. This source is in agreement with the Pew source because both state that college is rather expensive and may not be for everyone.

Descriptive Art History Essay

Jade Richards-Butler Professor Jonathon Farris ARTH 100 Descriptive Essay This work resembles a four-legged animal wearing a mask with human features. It is a sculpture in the round created using an additive method. The smooth, highly polished texture and reddish colour of the sculpture give the impression that the material is ceramic. The sculpture’s head displays both human and animal qualities. The ears are positioned symmetrically, slightly off center of the head.They are of a triangular shape and stand erect in a pointed manner resembling ears similar to those of some dog breeds. They are slightly concave and face frontwards. Around the face there is a raised layer of the material creating the illusion that a mask has been superimposed onto the sculpture. The â€Å"mask† is a slightly different colour than the head and covers what would be the sculpture’s face. Right in the center of the â€Å"mask† are human features. The eyebrows are slightly raised and low set, sitting unusually close to the eyes.The eyes protrude slightly from their sockets. They are almond shaped with incisions outlining the eyeballs. The top of the nose begins between the two eyes, lengthwise it occupies about a third of the â€Å"mask†. It is highly protruding with a sharply defined bridge. Under the nose there are two raised areas denoting lips. There is an indentation representing the space in between the lips, which is curved slightly upwards suggesting a smile. The ears sit half way down the â€Å"mask†, they are proportional to the mask features with slightly exaggerated ear lobes.There is a hole in the right lobe that appears to be an artistic choice rather than a preservation problem. The inner edges of the hole seem scratched, perhaps there was previously an item sitting in the hole. The front legs are short in comparison to the rest of the body. There is an outward bend half way down each leg. The base of the legs taper off slightly , resembling paws. There are three equally distributed indentations on each paw, the indentations span from the where the legs begin to taper to the tip of the paws.These indentations delineate toes on the paws. The stomach is not in proportion with the rest of the body as it is quite wide and sits slightly off the ground. It is a bulbous shape and suggests that the dog is overweight. This could be a signal of the domestication of this particular breed of dog. The breed was probably native to the area of the artwork and consequently domesticated, serving as companions to humans. The rotundness may suggest that they were pampered, idolized animals. Unlike the two front legs, the two back legs are completely straight.They do not have bends or indentations to resemble paws, instead they slightly flare out towards the bottom. The tail also does not resemble the tail of any known animal. In proportion to the rest of the statue the tail is extremely wide. It is rounded and appears hollowe d out. It appears to be diagonally sliced downwards, the highest point being at the back of the tail. This suggests the sculpture could have a dual purpose as an ornament and a storage vessel. The tail could be an opening to a hollowed out stomach that would provide an appropriate storage facility for grain or liquid.The sculpture’s purpose of creation could be symbolic of shamanism. The mixed representations of human and animal features are possibly the artist’s way of exploring the relationship between these life forms. The human mask could be demonstrating the shamanist practices in which animal spirits work in harmony with a human host through ritualistic trance states. In summary it could be concluded that the artwork could be used both for decorative purposes and for a deeper spiritual use within the rituals of its social setting.

Free Essays on The Inuit

The Inuit The Inuit are a people inhabiting small enclaves in the coastal areas of Greenland, Arctic North America (including Canada and Alaska), and extreme northeastern Siberia. The name Inuit means â€Å"the real people† (Chance 21). In 1977 the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, held in Barrow, Alaska, officially â€Å"adopted Inuit as the replacement for the term ‘Eskimo’† (Chance 25). There are several related linguistic groups of Arctic peoples, including the Kalaallit in Greenland, the Inuvialuit in Canada, and the Yupiget, Yuplit, and Alutiit in Alaska. Many of these groups prefer to be called by their specific â€Å"tribal† names rather than as Inuits. In Alaska the term â€Å"Eskimo† is still commonly used. Chance notes that the Inuit vary within about 5 cm (about 2 in) of an average height of 163 cm (5 ft 4 in). They also display â€Å"metabolic, circulatory, and other adaptations to the Arctic climate† (Chance 95). Inhabiting an area spanning almost 5150 km (almost 3200 mi), Inuit have a wider geographical range than any other aborigines and are the most sparsely distributed people on earth. From archaeological, linguistic, and physiological evidence, most scholars conclude that the Inuit migrated across the Bering Strait to Arctic North America. A later arrival to the New World than most native peoples, the Inuit share many cultural traits with Siberian Arctic peoples and with their own closest relatives, the Aleuts. The oldest archaeological sites identifiable as Inuit, in southwest Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, â€Å"date from about 2000 BC and are somewhat distinct from later Inuit sites† (Chance 17). By about 1800 BC the highly developed â€Å"Old Whaling† or â€Å"Bering Sea† culture and related cultures â€Å"had emerged in Siberia and in the Bering Strait region† (Chance 30). In eastern Canada the â€Å"Old Dorset† culture flourished from about â€Å"1000 to 800 BC until about AD 1000 to 1300† (Chance 17). The Dorset... Free Essays on The Inuit Free Essays on The Inuit The Inuit The Inuit are a people inhabiting small enclaves in the coastal areas of Greenland, Arctic North America (including Canada and Alaska), and extreme northeastern Siberia. The name Inuit means â€Å"the real people† (Chance 21). In 1977 the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, held in Barrow, Alaska, officially â€Å"adopted Inuit as the replacement for the term ‘Eskimo’† (Chance 25). There are several related linguistic groups of Arctic peoples, including the Kalaallit in Greenland, the Inuvialuit in Canada, and the Yupiget, Yuplit, and Alutiit in Alaska. Many of these groups prefer to be called by their specific â€Å"tribal† names rather than as Inuits. In Alaska the term â€Å"Eskimo† is still commonly used. Chance notes that the Inuit vary within about 5 cm (about 2 in) of an average height of 163 cm (5 ft 4 in). They also display â€Å"metabolic, circulatory, and other adaptations to the Arctic climate† (Chance 95). Inhabiting an area spanning almost 5150 km (almost 3200 mi), Inuit have a wider geographical range than any other aborigines and are the most sparsely distributed people on earth. From archaeological, linguistic, and physiological evidence, most scholars conclude that the Inuit migrated across the Bering Strait to Arctic North America. A later arrival to the New World than most native peoples, the Inuit share many cultural traits with Siberian Arctic peoples and with their own closest relatives, the Aleuts. The oldest archaeological sites identifiable as Inuit, in southwest Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, â€Å"date from about 2000 BC and are somewhat distinct from later Inuit sites† (Chance 17). By about 1800 BC the highly developed â€Å"Old Whaling† or â€Å"Bering Sea† culture and related cultures â€Å"had emerged in Siberia and in the Bering Strait region† (Chance 30). In eastern Canada the â€Å"Old Dorset† culture flourished from about â€Å"1000 to 800 BC until about AD 1000 to 1300† (Chance 17). The Dorset...

Mrs dalloway Virginia woolfs

Mrs dalloway Virginia woolfs With a comparison to Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus warren smith. These citizens grow up under the same social institutions and although classes are drawn up on wealth; it can be conceived that two people may have very similar opinions of the society that created them. The English society which Virginia Woolf presents individuals that are uncannily similar. These two individuals carry the names of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith. Clarissa and Septimus, share the quality of communicating through actions, not words, and perceiving death as "defiance." Through these basic beliefs and mannerisms, Clarissa and Septimus, although never meeting, portray each other in their thoughts and actions. feels death and sorrow all around her. She consistently sees routine and habit around her but seems discontented Clarissa, she was now, "...Mrs. Dalloway; not even Clarissa any inside Mrs. Dalloway's soul, lies her belief character, the side that she never reveals. Clarissa expresses her belief in reincarnation.English: Bust of Virginia Woolf, Tavistock Square,...That her inner-communicating self, if not revealed in this body, may be revealed in the next. The belief that herÂÆ'” that everything will work out, eventually. Mrs. Dalloway before the party remarks that, 'If it were now to die, 'twere now be most happy.'"(p. 184) Clarissa portrays her sense of happiness as something not monstrumental or grandiose, but rather quite simple. She can be happy in throwing a party. Clarissa has friends. Her parties are to unite the people, who would otherwise never speak to each other. Clarissa communicates ycan, "say things you couldn't say anyhow else." She can her..." Clarissa Dalloway has a sense of optimism mixed with despair, in this she defines her character. sorrow in living within his society. Septimus sees beauty in small inanimate things that surround him. Beauty can be seen as a plane that writes in the sky, deciphered...

A Report Into Consumer Behavioural Theory

Creating a psychological struggle for customers as well as curing it can be vital to increase market share and customer satisfaction. * Overcoming pre-purchase alternatives to Benecol is a great challenge due to the highly saturated market the brand finds itself in, although this is not impossible as promotion of the products health benefits can lift it. * Consumers can be conditioned to relate to Benecol both consciously and unconsciously through various marketing and production techniques. Marketing strategies can be put in place which are directly or indirectly linked to the purchase or use of the product that gain short or long term boosts in sales or customer satisfaction such as sales promotions or school giveaways to promote health in children which improves brand reputation. * Taking advantage of every point of interaction between the product and the consumer can greatly increase the likelihood that a customer will become loyal to the brand and perhaps even aid the increase of market share. Introduction Consumer behavioural theory gives marketing departments the opportunity to gain a more effective understanding of the customers they have or wish to attain. The theories attached to this subject emotional, cognitive and psychological reaction to marketing and brand management. The following is a report on consumer behaviour related to the Benecol brand with the intention to gain a better organisational understanding of marketing theories and methods relevant to the specific brand. Due to the market segmentation of Benecol, the report largely aims to focus on consumer behaviour closely linked to health and food products, as well as applying more general consumer behavioural theory where relevant. As the relevant theories to consumer behaviour in the case of Benecol are outlined, recommendations will be made in order to aid the company in customer acquisition, retention and satisfaction. Motivation and Need Recognition In assembling this report it was understood that many theories of behavioural aspects of marketing are derived from an organisation’s awareness and understand of its target markets’ needs and desires and those who utilise this most effectively are often the most successful brands. For instance, Coca-Cola has no health benefits, therefore it is marketed as hedonistic product and the more its target market become increasingly health-conscious the more Coke will play on its slogan ‘enjoy’, whilst also increasing its market share in other ways, i. e. hrough the purchase of shares in drinks companies that promote health (Macalister Teather, 2010). The need or desire that is recognised by Benecol’s products is clearly the reduction of cholesterol, the motivation for this is increased health as well as Benecol’s ease of use. The motivation for buying a product that increases the health of the consumer is self-evident in many ways. Value Theory Many researchers have suggested that consumers are ‘value driven’ and find that the enjoyment of a product is balanced between what is given and what is received (Torben, 2005). In short, this theory argues the following factors are counted when a future purchase is considered: From this, it could be argued that Benecol’s price and quality are subjective to the customer as the benefits from use of said product are only noticeable long-term and the economic cost of the range are noticeably, although not unreasonably, higher than alternatives. However, the value the product gives to the consumer from a marketing perspective will be discussed in greater details through other behavioural theories as the above chart is too rudimentary to give explicit argument to Benecol’s potential without more exploration. Information Processing Something highly intrinsic to the product value of Benecol is the emphasis on being ‘the only range of foods to contain Plant Stanol Ester, a unique cholesterol lowering ingredient. ’ (Rasio Plc. , 2011). Getting this information to the public through advertising happens through the brand website, but on television the advertising is focused on basic prompts that will motivate the audience into believing in the benefits of using the product. One example is the latest UK advert which places stress on the convenience of the product with a line in fairly small print about the plant stanol ester underneath the visual of how easy it can be to help lower cholesterol. The information of stanols is considered secondary in marketing the convenience product and therefore is only likely absorbed by those already interested in the product or the advertising. Dissonance This theory is based on a consumer’s cognitive struggle where two beliefs that are reasoned to be true are not consistent. This process of a cognitive clash brings about a motivation to come to a positive conclusion where a psychological compromise can occur to bring an end to the inconsistency, therefore ending the dissonance (Torben, 2005). By advertising the negative effects rival products can have on a consumer’s health, Benecol creates a struggle within the consumer’s mind that whilst they enjoy their regular food and dairy products, they are damaging to their health by creating large amounts of cholesterol. Benecol is then introduced as an alternative to health-damaging products that bridges the psychological inconsistencies in the consumer’s mind by offering a products that helps prevent cholesterol whilst not taking enjoyment away from eating. By offering advertisement reinforced with clinically proven information, the customer is also limited in averting the dissonance caused by Benecol’s initial information about rival product. Benecol therefore markets by initiating dissonance and then promoting a solution to end the consumer’s self-conflict. Balance Theory and Modelling This motivational theory argues that ‘people desire cognitive consistency in their drive to achieve psychological balance in their thoughts, feelings and social relationships’ (Dacko, 2008). In relation to marketing, consumer can be attracted or put off of a product due to a linked influencer even if it is not directly linked to the product, also known as modelling. For example, a woman could be attracted to an anti-wrinkle cream if she sees it endorsed by Dame Helen Mirren because she is a fan of the actress’ work and beauty. Similarly, if an organisation were thinking of using Accenture, a deal could have been negatively affected due to the unrelated infidelities of Tiger Woods, had the latter not ceased to sponsor him when they did. The theory promoted by Benecol is the trifecta of a person balancing convenience, taste and health. Ergo, Benecol is promoted as a product that does not impede on the consumer’s convenience from daily routine in preparing food, manages to taste as good as unhealthy products whilst being a product that promotes good health. Although it has done in the past with Carol Vorderman, Benecol currently does not market its product using celebrity endorsement, something that its rivals, Activia and Actimel do in the UK. Although these products are not exactly the same as Benecol, they produce many products in the same market advertising similar benefits, such as yoghurts and mini-drinks that aid well-being. Pre-purchase Alternative Evaluation This theory bases its argument on the focus that a customer makes a cognitive and emotional decision on the alternatives to the product in question before a purchase is made. Through judging the price, quality and branding of the products in question cognitively, a consumer will then make their decision based on the positive or negative effects that the previous factors will have on their life. As Benecol is marketed as an alternative to unhealthy dairy staples such as yoghurts and spreads, it is undeniable that the market that Benecol is placed in is highly competitive. Benecol spread is nearly twice as expensive as similar products including own brand olive spreads that cost under half the price for twice the weight of product (Ocado, 2011). The following is a statement from international brand analysts Datamonitor in a report for the UK dairy industry: ‘From the consumer’s point of view, dairy products may be used directly as food or beverages, or ingredients for other home-made foods. There are a wide range of foods and drinks that can be used in similar ways to dairy products, so if dairy prices raise too high, it is easy for consumers to replace them with alternatives. This reduces the pricing freedom of retailers and market players. Some of the alternatives may have advantages for retailers, such as cheaper storage or higher margins. The threat of substitutes is assessed here as strong, although dairy products are important parts of most peoples’ diet and are unlikely to be completely replaced’ (Datamonitor, 2008). From this we see that Benecol has the challenge to promote the positive effects it can have on a consumer’s life rather than any economic benefits it may possess, unless it was marketed in a way that suggested it could save customers money in the long-term as a prevention of high spending due to ill-health. This however is playing on consumer fear and would not be recommended as a means of increasing customer acquisition, retention or satisfaction. Classical Conditioning This theory refers to an argument that consumers can be programmed into acting without being conscious of their conditioning. Through classical conditioning it is argued that by stimulating different emotional states in a consumer through the use of marketing, product placement, packaging or use, the consumer’s approach to the product becomes altered to act immediately with a certain approach to a product that is involuntary (East, Wright, Vanhuele, 2008). With Benecol, it could be argued that consumers are conditioned into both positive and negative emotional reactions through our marketing. The deep mint green logo surrounded by a heart blended with soft, sky blue backgrounds in our packaging and advertising is warming and few products in the same or similar markets share the same colour scheme so not only are we unique in our packaging so when customers do see similar colours, they are quickly linked back to Benecol which aids them to buy more. As mentioned in relation to other theories of consumer behaviour, fear plays a large part in motivating one to purchase an item which promotes health. Although as a company it would not be ethical to play on fear to boost sales, there is no denying the very real possibility that consumers are motivated to purchase goods when they are conditioned to understand that not doing so could lead them to health problems down the line. A Report Into Consumer Behavioural Theory Creating a psychological struggle for customers as well as curing it can be vital to increase market share and customer satisfaction. * Overcoming pre-purchase alternatives to Benecol is a great challenge due to the highly saturated market the brand finds itself in, although this is not impossible as promotion of the products health benefits can lift it. * Consumers can be conditioned to relate to Benecol both consciously and unconsciously through various marketing and production techniques. Marketing strategies can be put in place which are directly or indirectly linked to the purchase or use of the product that gain short or long term boosts in sales or customer satisfaction such as sales promotions or school giveaways to promote health in children which improves brand reputation. * Taking advantage of every point of interaction between the product and the consumer can greatly increase the likelihood that a customer will become loyal to the brand and perhaps even aid the increase of market share. Introduction Consumer behavioural theory gives marketing departments the opportunity to gain a more effective understanding of the customers they have or wish to attain. The theories attached to this subject emotional, cognitive and psychological reaction to marketing and brand management. The following is a report on consumer behaviour related to the Benecol brand with the intention to gain a better organisational understanding of marketing theories and methods relevant to the specific brand. Due to the market segmentation of Benecol, the report largely aims to focus on consumer behaviour closely linked to health and food products, as well as applying more general consumer behavioural theory where relevant. As the relevant theories to consumer behaviour in the case of Benecol are outlined, recommendations will be made in order to aid the company in customer acquisition, retention and satisfaction. Motivation and Need Recognition In assembling this report it was understood that many theories of behavioural aspects of marketing are derived from an organisation’s awareness and understand of its target markets’ needs and desires and those who utilise this most effectively are often the most successful brands. For instance, Coca-Cola has no health benefits, therefore it is marketed as hedonistic product and the more its target market become increasingly health-conscious the more Coke will play on its slogan ‘enjoy’, whilst also increasing its market share in other ways, i. e. hrough the purchase of shares in drinks companies that promote health (Macalister Teather, 2010). The need or desire that is recognised by Benecol’s products is clearly the reduction of cholesterol, the motivation for this is increased health as well as Benecol’s ease of use. The motivation for buying a product that increases the health of the consumer is self-evident in many ways. Value Theory Many researchers have suggested that consumers are ‘value driven’ and find that the enjoyment of a product is balanced between what is given and what is received (Torben, 2005). In short, this theory argues the following factors are counted when a future purchase is considered: From this, it could be argued that Benecol’s price and quality are subjective to the customer as the benefits from use of said product are only noticeable long-term and the economic cost of the range are noticeably, although not unreasonably, higher than alternatives. However, the value the product gives to the consumer from a marketing perspective will be discussed in greater details through other behavioural theories as the above chart is too rudimentary to give explicit argument to Benecol’s potential without more exploration. Information Processing Something highly intrinsic to the product value of Benecol is the emphasis on being ‘the only range of foods to contain Plant Stanol Ester, a unique cholesterol lowering ingredient. ’ (Rasio Plc. , 2011). Getting this information to the public through advertising happens through the brand website, but on television the advertising is focused on basic prompts that will motivate the audience into believing in the benefits of using the product. One example is the latest UK advert which places stress on the convenience of the product with a line in fairly small print about the plant stanol ester underneath the visual of how easy it can be to help lower cholesterol. The information of stanols is considered secondary in marketing the convenience product and therefore is only likely absorbed by those already interested in the product or the advertising. Dissonance This theory is based on a consumer’s cognitive struggle where two beliefs that are reasoned to be true are not consistent. This process of a cognitive clash brings about a motivation to come to a positive conclusion where a psychological compromise can occur to bring an end to the inconsistency, therefore ending the dissonance (Torben, 2005). By advertising the negative effects rival products can have on a consumer’s health, Benecol creates a struggle within the consumer’s mind that whilst they enjoy their regular food and dairy products, they are damaging to their health by creating large amounts of cholesterol. Benecol is then introduced as an alternative to health-damaging products that bridges the psychological inconsistencies in the consumer’s mind by offering a products that helps prevent cholesterol whilst not taking enjoyment away from eating. By offering advertisement reinforced with clinically proven information, the customer is also limited in averting the dissonance caused by Benecol’s initial information about rival product. Benecol therefore markets by initiating dissonance and then promoting a solution to end the consumer’s self-conflict. Balance Theory and Modelling This motivational theory argues that ‘people desire cognitive consistency in their drive to achieve psychological balance in their thoughts, feelings and social relationships’ (Dacko, 2008). In relation to marketing, consumer can be attracted or put off of a product due to a linked influencer even if it is not directly linked to the product, also known as modelling. For example, a woman could be attracted to an anti-wrinkle cream if she sees it endorsed by Dame Helen Mirren because she is a fan of the actress’ work and beauty. Similarly, if an organisation were thinking of using Accenture, a deal could have been negatively affected due to the unrelated infidelities of Tiger Woods, had the latter not ceased to sponsor him when they did. The theory promoted by Benecol is the trifecta of a person balancing convenience, taste and health. Ergo, Benecol is promoted as a product that does not impede on the consumer’s convenience from daily routine in preparing food, manages to taste as good as unhealthy products whilst being a product that promotes good health. Although it has done in the past with Carol Vorderman, Benecol currently does not market its product using celebrity endorsement, something that its rivals, Activia and Actimel do in the UK. Although these products are not exactly the same as Benecol, they produce many products in the same market advertising similar benefits, such as yoghurts and mini-drinks that aid well-being. Pre-purchase Alternative Evaluation This theory bases its argument on the focus that a customer makes a cognitive and emotional decision on the alternatives to the product in question before a purchase is made. Through judging the price, quality and branding of the products in question cognitively, a consumer will then make their decision based on the positive or negative effects that the previous factors will have on their life. As Benecol is marketed as an alternative to unhealthy dairy staples such as yoghurts and spreads, it is undeniable that the market that Benecol is placed in is highly competitive. Benecol spread is nearly twice as expensive as similar products including own brand olive spreads that cost under half the price for twice the weight of product (Ocado, 2011). The following is a statement from international brand analysts Datamonitor in a report for the UK dairy industry: ‘From the consumer’s point of view, dairy products may be used directly as food or beverages, or ingredients for other home-made foods. There are a wide range of foods and drinks that can be used in similar ways to dairy products, so if dairy prices raise too high, it is easy for consumers to replace them with alternatives. This reduces the pricing freedom of retailers and market players. Some of the alternatives may have advantages for retailers, such as cheaper storage or higher margins. The threat of substitutes is assessed here as strong, although dairy products are important parts of most peoples’ diet and are unlikely to be completely replaced’ (Datamonitor, 2008). From this we see that Benecol has the challenge to promote the positive effects it can have on a consumer’s life rather than any economic benefits it may possess, unless it was marketed in a way that suggested it could save customers money in the long-term as a prevention of high spending due to ill-health. This however is playing on consumer fear and would not be recommended as a means of increasing customer acquisition, retention or satisfaction. Classical Conditioning This theory refers to an argument that consumers can be programmed into acting without being conscious of their conditioning. Through classical conditioning it is argued that by stimulating different emotional states in a consumer through the use of marketing, product placement, packaging or use, the consumer’s approach to the product becomes altered to act immediately with a certain approach to a product that is involuntary (East, Wright, Vanhuele, 2008). With Benecol, it could be argued that consumers are conditioned into both positive and negative emotional reactions through our marketing. The deep mint green logo surrounded by a heart blended with soft, sky blue backgrounds in our packaging and advertising is warming and few products in the same or similar markets share the same colour scheme so not only are we unique in our packaging so when customers do see similar colours, they are quickly linked back to Benecol which aids them to buy more. As mentioned in relation to other theories of consumer behaviour, fear plays a large part in motivating one to purchase an item which promotes health. Although as a company it would not be ethical to play on fear to boost sales, there is no denying the very real possibility that consumers are motivated to purchase goods when they are conditioned to understand that not doing so could lead them to health problems down the line.

Koran and 1001 Nights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Koran and 1001 Nights - Research Paper Example Her words and the words of the learned quizzing her reveal that the primary aim of Muslims is to achieve purity of body and spirit so that they will be worthy of meeting God. The book reflects the principles of the Koran in a thematic way through the various tales and the frame story. These stories reveal the principles of the Koran at work in the lives of the characters. The frame story of the Thousand and One Nights reflects the stories within the book in that each of the female characters are facing tests of their purity and their dedication and each time they demonstrate forgiveness, understanding and dedication. The male characters are often people with power, respected men who still manage to doubt, mess up or do wrong things. These men find the way back to purity, acceptance of Mohammed as prophet, dedication to the one true religion and renewed happiness and life. Evil men do not conform to these principles and suffer as a result of their willfulness. The frame story of a ruler who promises to take a new wife each evening and kill her each morning is reflected in these stories by allowing the ruler to see himself in each tale and his storyteller and latest wife, Shahrazad, in the roles of the female characters. As she gently instructs him in his religion, she is saving her own life and the lives of 1001 other of her countrywomen. She also pre sents the ruler with three healthy sons in this period and is finally rewarded with life and honor as the ruler’s

Miracles of Jesus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Miracles of Jesus - Essay Example He instructed the servants to get six pots of water and when they poured the pots out, it was transformed into a very high quality of wine. So to save the face of the guests there, Jesus turned the water into wine. This showed that he had extraordinary powers and can perform miracles as only God can change one substance into another. The immediate result of this was that the disciples started believing in him. Thus Jesus power over creation in past and future times as deity was manifested to the humans (Guided Bible Studies, King James Bible - John 2:1-25 n.d.). 2. The second sign of miracle performed by Jesus was the healing of the noble man’s son. The son was very ill and was near death when the man went to Jesus to ask him to heal his son. He was a high official and therefore by healing his son the credibility of Jesus as being sent by God enhanced even further. Jesus had spoken the words of healing without even meeting the son and this showed the power of his healing over space (Towns 2002, xiii). This showed that God was not limited by space and so isn’t Jesus as he holds the nature of power (Guided Bible Studies, King James Bible - John 4:1-54 n.d.). 3. The third miracle performed by Jesus was that of the healing of a lame. Man. The person was paralyzed for a lot of years, in fact for 38 years and because Jesus was full of love and compassion he healed the man. The person had laid by the pool at the sheep market for many years and slowly his faith and hope was fading away. Another reason was that the person was losing hope and therefore to renew his hope and trust in God he healed him. This miracle showed the power of Jesus and his deity was restored as he chose the timing for the deliverance of his powers (Guided Bible Studies, King James Bible - John 5:1-47 n.d.). This also exemplified the power given to him by God. The deity was shown by him doing no one else would have done (McFarland 2008). 4. The fourth miracle performed by Jesus was t he feeding of 5000 people. Since the power of Jesus’ healing was becoming well known and therefore people now gathered at the place where Jesus was present to speak on the eve of the Passover. Jesus asked from where the bread could be taken and he was given only five loaves of bread and two fish. He asked his servants to serve the bread to the people present there and thanked the god. By miracle all the people ate as much as they could and after everyone left Jesus asked his servants to collect the leftover pieces so that nothing is lost. When his servants collected the leftover pieces 12 baskets were full (Guided Bible Studies, King James Bible - John 6:1-71 n.d.). This miracle showed the power over food. After this incident a lot of people started believing in Jesus as a â€Å"prophet† and that he was a wonder to the people. A deeper meaning of this symbol is that food here not only represents the physical thing that is used to feed humans but is also talking about t hat spiritual food that feeds the soul of the person and that none could remain hungry in the presence of Jesus (Signs and Miracles in John n.d.). 5. The fifth miracle that was performed by Jesus Christ that eventually affected his deity was that he walked on the water in a sea storm. The disciples were going on a ship into sea whereas Jesus had gone over to the mountain but at night they got caught up in a night storm and they saw Jesus coming towards them by walking in the sea. They got fearful but then

Rembrandt Van Rijn's Paintings Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rembrandt Van Rijn's Paintings - Term Paper Example The paper "Rembrandt Van Rijn's Paintings" explores â€Å"The Blinding of Samson† and â€Å"The Avenge of Samson† by Rembrandt van Rijn. While there have been identified more than 400 original works by Rembrandt that have lived through centuries, no one doubts that in the past there existed many more which, unfortunately, have either been lost or destroyed. Today one may savor the beauty and emotional depth of a variety of portraits created by Rembrandt back in the 17th century. However, what is even more appealing for a modern viewer is Rembrandt’s paintings devoted to the Biblical themes and based on the events either from the Old or New Testament. It is hard to say why exactly, but the Biblical story of the Hebrew hero Samson, who was known to possess inordinate strength and was kind of God’s champion, was particularly interesting to Rembrandt. The art scholars attribute 5 original works by Rembrandt devoted to Samson’s life events. The Blinding of Samson (1636) is probably the most famous of them. Interestingly, it has been found that one more painting that explored the Samson motif was created by Rembrandt almost immediately after The Blinding of Samson. The Avenge by Samson (1638) was completed two years later and was kept in a private collection of Rembrandt’s powerful patron Prince Frederick Hendrick of Orange during his lifetime. Allegedly, it was destroyed during the fire of 1712 or was stolen at the moment of panic in the burning house where it was kept. This paper seeks to explore the meaning., historical context and the form of The Blinding of Samson and, based on this research, hypothesize what the details of The Avenge of Samson might have been. It also focuses on the place these artworks had/might have had in the career of their author – Rembrandt van Rijn. The Blinding of Samson: Form, Meaning and Historical Context The Blinding of Samson was created back in 1636. At that time, artists typically used natural materials that they made themselves, most often oil. The Blinding of Samson is not an exception to that rule. It is written in oil on canvas and it is quite large (235x302 cm). While the painting is an example of the Baroque art and represents the Biblical episode, it is quite naturalistic. It can be attributed to the author’s careful use of form. In particular, this artwork exemplifies â€Å"the dark manner† which was introduced by Rembrandt’s predecessor Caravaggio. In this painting, Rembrandt used luxuriant brushwork which combined with rich color and masterful use of chiaroscuro (the technique of treatment of both light and shade). Specifically, his brushstrokes are, as usual, broad and thick. Also, it is these layers of glaze that evidently provide scenes with extra depth and also gravity. Critics claim that these technique helped Rembrandt depict the mood as well as inner mental feeling of the figures since it accentuated their physical featur es along with expressions on their faces (Encyclopedia of Art, visual-arts-cork.com). In relation to this, Armold Houbraken, a painter and a contemporary of Rembrandt who was familiar with the way the great Dutchman worked described that very often his artworks â€Å"looked as though the paint has been smeared on with a bricklayer’s towel† (van de Wetering 5). Yet, it is this working method that allows his paintings to create an extremely light

Database management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Database management - Coursework Example select distinct Customer.CustNo, Customer.CustFirstName, Customer.CustLastName, Customer.CustBal from Customer, OrderTbl where Customer.CustNo = OrderTbl.CustNo and (OrderTbl.OrdDate between '01-Feb-2007' and '28-Feb-2007); select distinct Customer.CustNo, Customer.CustFirstName, Customer.CustLastName, Customer.CustBal from Customer, OrderTbl where Customer.CustNo = OrderTbl.CustNo and (OrderTbl.OrdDate between #02/01/2007# and #02/28/2007#); select distinct Customer.CustNo, Customer.CustFirstName, Customer.CustLastName, Customer.CustBal from Customer, OrderTbl where Customer.CustNo = OrderTbl.CustNo and month(OrderTbl.OrdDate)=2 and year(OrderTbl.OrdDate)=2007; select distinct Product.ProdNo, Product.ProdName, Product.ProdPrice from Product, OrdLine, OrderTbl where Product.ProdNo = OrdLine.ProdNo and OrdLine.OrdNo = OrderTbl.OrdNo and OrderTbl.CustNo = 'C0954327' and (OrderTbl.OrdDate between '01-Jan-2007' and '31-Jan-2007'); select distinct Product.ProdNo, Product.ProdName, Product.ProdPrice from Product, OrdLine, OrderTbl where Product.ProdNo = OrdLine.ProdNo and OrdLine.OrdNo = OrderTbl.OrdNo and OrderTbl.CustNo = 'C0954327' and (OrderTbl.OrdDate between

Marketing - Critical Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Critical Marketing - Essay Example Several monographs and edited volumes on critical marketing have been published†. The first use of the term ‘critical marketing’ in relation to the critical cultural as well as social theories is in the work of Hansen (1981). (Moufahim and Mitussis 2009). Critical marketing in general sense implies that any marketing idea has to be discussed threadbare focusing on its positive attributes as well as its faults, thereby coming up with necessary modifications and corrections. This point was put by forward by Friat and Tadajewski (2009, p.127) who stated that critical marketing involves â€Å"any position that judgmentally evaluates a body of discourse (including marketing) with the intention to find any faults or problems to be challenged and modified or corrected.† However, the key fact that has to be considered when viewing ideas critically is the time-bound factor. That is, what is/was viewed critically could change with time and context. Certain critical pe rspectives about an idea that gets formed during earlier periods of history could change now with contribution by other experts and thinkers. Thus, the crucial point is, critical perspectives will be mostly dynamic with the change of time, situation, contexts, etc. This is particularly relevant to the critical marketing idea of cultural stereotyping. As Hackley (2008, p. 154) with the aid of Tadajewski and Brownlie (2008) point out Marketing is a field of social and cultural studies as well as a set of social practices. That is, while launching marketing campaigns targeting a particular customer base, organizations will focus on that customer base’s various attributes including cultural attributes. The most common cultural attributes will be congregated and viewed stereotypically by the marketing team, to come up with effective and at the same time relevant marketing campaigns. However, at the same time, these stereotypes may not be accurate all the time, and as Hackley (2009 , p.155) states there are micro-level criticisms regarding the â€Å"promotion of stereotypes of race, gender and body type† through advertising campaigns. Cultural stereotype is the term given to a commonly held view about people belonging to a culture by the public, particularly the ‘outsiders’, which can include the other cultures as well as business organizations. Basically, different cultures and other entities will have different stereotypes of their own cultures and importantly about other cultures. For example, â€Å"The Germans think the French are resourceful; the British think they are humorless and short-tempered. The Dutch think the French are not very serious; the Spanish think they are cold and distant. The Americans think they are pleasant and intelligent, yet pretentious.† (de Mooij 2005, p.41). Thus, cultural stereotyping includes certain abstract familiarities as well as key commonalities that could be seen among the individuals belongin g to a particular cultural group. In a way, cultural stereotyping is a standardized and at the same time a kind of simplified view about particular sections of the people, based on commonly visible attributes or assumptions. However, those assumptions could be mainly generalizations in sizable cases, and so could be inaccurate at certain times. Bennett (1990, p.17) defines cultural stereotype as a social or mental grouping among individuals based on common, exaggerated and even inaccurate

Marketing (Buyer Behaviour) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing (Buyer Behaviour) - Essay Example t will provide the business executives with sufficient information regarding the strategies used by HP and Dell in terms of being able to effectively influence the buying behavior of its target consumers. Founded in 1939 by Bill and Dave (HP, 2008a), Hewlett-Packard (HP) manages to grow as the leading computer manufacturer in the global markets. Today, HP operates in more than 170 countries all over the world. Dell was founded by Michael Dell in 1984. (Dell, 2008a) Since then, the company remains focused on addressing the specific needs of the customers when purchasing a computer system. Dell’s strategic decision to penetrate the global markets in 1987 (Dell, 2008b) enabled the company to become one of the biggest computer manufacturers today. Specifically in Australian market, HP and Dell were able to capture the biggest market shares with 21% and 15% respectively. (Tung, 2008) (See Appendix I – Market Shares of Major Computer Manufacturers in Australia on page 11) Under the Needs and Wants, discussion will focus on determining the buyers’ behavior on these two major portable computer manufacturers, a clear market segment and the specific needs and wants of the consumers in terms of using the two branded laptops will be identified. Eventually, the different strategies used in motivating consumers to purchase either of these two products as well as the attitudes or consumers’ preferences with regards to these brands will be discussed. The last part of the report will tackle the impact of consumers’ social class on how marketers are able to communicate with them including how the marketing communication methods used may have affect the consumers’ perception on these products. Between September ___ to ___ of year 2008, a total of 100 market research survey questionnaires will be distributed to a total of 100 laptop owners who are living in Australia. (See Appendix II – Market Research Survey Questionnaire on page 12) Aside from conducting a

Marketing - Critical Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Critical Marketing - Essay Example Several monographs and edited volumes on critical marketing have been published†. The first use of the term ‘critical marketing’ in relation to the critical cultural as well as social theories is in the work of Hansen (1981). (Moufahim and Mitussis 2009). Critical marketing in general sense implies that any marketing idea has to be discussed threadbare focusing on its positive attributes as well as its faults, thereby coming up with necessary modifications and corrections. This point was put by forward by Friat and Tadajewski (2009, p.127) who stated that critical marketing involves â€Å"any position that judgmentally evaluates a body of discourse (including marketing) with the intention to find any faults or problems to be challenged and modified or corrected.† However, the key fact that has to be considered when viewing ideas critically is the time-bound factor. That is, what is/was viewed critically could change with time and context. Certain critical pe rspectives about an idea that gets formed during earlier periods of history could change now with contribution by other experts and thinkers. Thus, the crucial point is, critical perspectives will be mostly dynamic with the change of time, situation, contexts, etc. This is particularly relevant to the critical marketing idea of cultural stereotyping. As Hackley (2008, p. 154) with the aid of Tadajewski and Brownlie (2008) point out Marketing is a field of social and cultural studies as well as a set of social practices. That is, while launching marketing campaigns targeting a particular customer base, organizations will focus on that customer base’s various attributes including cultural attributes. The most common cultural attributes will be congregated and viewed stereotypically by the marketing team, to come up with effective and at the same time relevant marketing campaigns. However, at the same time, these stereotypes may not be accurate all the time, and as Hackley (2009 , p.155) states there are micro-level criticisms regarding the â€Å"promotion of stereotypes of race, gender and body type† through advertising campaigns. Cultural stereotype is the term given to a commonly held view about people belonging to a culture by the public, particularly the ‘outsiders’, which can include the other cultures as well as business organizations. Basically, different cultures and other entities will have different stereotypes of their own cultures and importantly about other cultures. For example, â€Å"The Germans think the French are resourceful; the British think they are humorless and short-tempered. The Dutch think the French are not very serious; the Spanish think they are cold and distant. The Americans think they are pleasant and intelligent, yet pretentious.† (de Mooij 2005, p.41). Thus, cultural stereotyping includes certain abstract familiarities as well as key commonalities that could be seen among the individuals belongin g to a particular cultural group. In a way, cultural stereotyping is a standardized and at the same time a kind of simplified view about particular sections of the people, based on commonly visible attributes or assumptions. However, those assumptions could be mainly generalizations in sizable cases, and so could be inaccurate at certain times. Bennett (1990, p.17) defines cultural stereotype as a social or mental grouping among individuals based on common, exaggerated and even inaccurate

Ethics in Contracts Essay Example for Free

Ethics in Contracts Essay Abstract: When creating a contract, a negotiator is not only doing so to reach an agreement between two or more parties, but to create an agreement that is durable; whereby parties of the contract are legally bound and committed to its promises . â€Å"A legally binding contract is defined as an exchange of promises or an agreement between parties that the law will enforce, and there is an underlying presumption for commercial agreements that parties intend to be legally bound† [1]. When a contract does not expressly address a contingency that occurs, the morality of breach is assumed here to depend on what the contract would have said had it addressed the contingency. Morality in contracts becomes crucial to parties entering into a contract. This is where the role of ethics comes in. Introduction: The etymology of business relates to the state of being busy either as an individual or society as a whole, doing commercially viable and profitable work. The most common form of business all around the world is corporation. There are more than 2 partners who either wholly or has limited liability over the business. In such a scenario the need to bind by certain terms arose both within the organization by the stakeholders and outside the organization with the suppliers and wholesalers. This dire need gave rise to â€Å"contracts†. The leaders of the organization cooperate with a set of written rules bounded by every other stakeholder. HOW CONTRACT? It all started as an idea of shaking hands, the idea it expresses has had greater impact on Business ethics. Just a simple handshake denotes the idea of agreement in economic contexts. A contract is an agreement entered voluntarily by two or more parties, each of whom intends to create one or more legal obligations between or among them. The elements of a contract are offer and acceptance by competent persons having legal capacity who exchanges consideration to create mutuality of obligation, and, in some circumstances, do so in writing. A contract is always enforceable by law and has the following essentials.[2] 1.Intentions to create a contract 2.Offer and acceptance 3.Consideration 4.Capacity to enter into contract 5.Free consent of the parties 6.Lawful object of consideration Being Ethical in contracts is behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs and law where the humans are basically evolved in a moral sense and possess the ability to engage in moral behaviour. The law here is aforesaid liability in contracts where the generic importance is of getting a fair share in corporation profits. That is why it becomes extremely important to maintain ethics in contracts. The lawful object of consideration is considered very important in the contract and ethics related to contract. This is because in case of contract breach ethically or non-ethically reimbursing the value of lawful object of consideration is hereby treated as lawful. It is therefore imperative that contracts are created to be as durable as possible so parties are unable to find legal ‘loopholes’ and use their power, wealth, ignorance or cultural differences in setting contracts aside. Apart from that the ethical behaviour of the parties involved in contract adds an extra layer to the contract thereby keeping the best interest of people involved in contract. The following factors seem to affect the ethics involved in contracts. Cultural Flexibility Japanese culture for instance, the creation of a contract symbolises formation of a working relationship, and not a legally binding agreement. Some groups will regard the contract as being flexible in terms that if any problems or issues arise, the parties will reassess the obligations of the agreement and negotiate ways to preserve the relationship. Being Ethical and professional at the same time is viewed with high regard by the Japanese. However, this is not generally the ‘Western’ view on contracts. In relation to the ethical issue of cultural relativism, a business is obliged to operate in a manner acceptable to the host country, both legally and morally. The example cited here dealing with Shell portrays the fact of having contract as per the ethical behaviour of the host country. In those cases, there arises a question, is it morally wrong for a Western party to hold a Japanese party to the contract when it is known that the Japanese party would not have intended to be legally bound? Or is it unethical or immoral of the Japanese to sign such an agreement, even though they mean well when signing it, knowing the Western party intended to be legally bound by the contract but themselves see the contract as more of a flexible agreement? 1.Shell Oil : Brent Spar incident Popularly known as the Nigeria/Spar episode which taught the company to be ethical in its host country. In its action to maximize profits Shell articulated roundtables of 14 countries which brought together 159 shell executives and 145 external participants including opinion leaders and journalists. In this meet Shell articulated a contract which ensured its commitment to health, safety and environment. It set the same as the goals of the company. The step to the goal was supposedly implemented immediately by setting up safety team to manage HSE and Shell publicly announced its commitment towards human right and health safety[4]. Shell’s initiatives in the wake of Nigeria and Brent Spar signalled a fuller recognition of subtlety of ethics. With the completion of a pipeline connection to the oil terminal at Sullom Voe in Shetland, the storage facility had continued in use but was considered to be of no further value as of 1991. Brent Spar became an issue of public concern in 1995, when the British government announced its support for Shells application for disposal in deep Atlantic waters at North Feni Ridge (approximately 250 km from the west coast of Scotland, at a depth of around 2.5 km)[3]. This put issues of societal expectation in sharp relief. These incidents forced shell to recognize that people around the world come to place a heightened value on conservation of natural resources. Nigeria on the other hand had distinctively non European ethical expectations for companies. The evolving ethical attitudes of emerging economies, made Shell recognize that unless it changes global and regional changes in attitudes it cannot draw a line between ethical and unethical behaviour. Nigeria and Brent Spar forces shell to realize the importance of social contracts that framed business activities. Shell later on monitored the changing communal understandings as they played a growing role in company’s actions. Shell started to factor social contracts into ethical decision making process. Ethical games in business are played with different rules in different countries. In companies multinationals and corporations’ racial gender and world, questions of clash and compatibility between family and work are now assumed to be proper province of corporate management. Shell with its troubles it faced in early 90s due to Brent spar incident stands as a perfect example to approaching ethical issues in business. The differences in cultural expectations can predictably lead to the more economically powerful party attempting to negotiate that all breaches will be dealt with ultimately by courts from their own culture, applying their own cultural and legal rules. This then highlights the issue of different legal rules existing in different countries which enable contracts to be set aside. The list of exceptions to finality of contracts varies from one jurisdiction to another, and this is often placed under the label ‘frustration of contracts’. Some jurisdictions, notably Australia, Israel and India, imply a term of good faith into contracts. A final way in which terms may be implied due to fact is through a previous course of dealing or common. The Uniform Commercial Code of the United States also imposes an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in performance and enforcement of contracts covered by the Code, which cannot be derogated from. [5] Lack of Informed Consent Some acts cannot legally take place because of a lack of informed consent. Another person is generally authorised to give consent if an individual is unable to. These cases sometimes result in a party refusing to comply with the terms of the contract. This usually is exploited by many unethical behaviour. 2.This was the case in Gerbert and Gerbert (1990) FLC 92-137 [1], where a husband settled for 10% of assets against his probable entitlement to 40%, and it was held that there was no miscarriage of justice as the husband acted feely and was advised to seek legal advice. In cases where an individual is provided limited facts, serious ethical issues may arise. It is unethical to hold someone to a contract when they clearly had no awareness of exactly what they were signing and committing themselves to, due to ignorance. It is unethical for a lawyer to encourage the signing of a document if they are clearly not fully understanding of the document. Wealth If the chance of success and money is opportune to a wealthy person, their capacity and willingness can give rise to alleging various legal justifications for breach. A few years of legal expenses may only be a small proportion of their empire, and the resulting attrition and disparate investment in the conflict may eventually encourage other parties to renegotiate the disputed In terms of moral relativism, most people would agree that it is ethically wrong to use wealth to control a situation and to ‘force’ people into renegotiating clauses in contracts if they are unable to afford the legal bill accompanying a dispute. In situations such as these, the ‘little man’ usually loses out and will ultimately succumb to the power of the other party or parties. 3.Gujarat Housing Board vs Vipul Corporation on 21 June, 2004 [6] Housing Board was awarded a contract to Vipul Corporation for Water Proofing work of 360 Middle Income Group Houses at Valsad on 22.11.1994, being highest bidder, on accepting the tender. It appears that at the last moment, when work was about to be started, the work was obstructed. Housing Board was sincerely trying to create an atmosphere which may enable the contractor to perform the contract. It appears that the Housing Board also took the defence of frustration of the contract as per sec. 56 of the Contracts Act. Vipul Corporation lost the case but it hardly did anything to their business that they were able to pay the indemnification amount in the contract and started bidding for other contracts as if nothing had happened with their wealth. This was because of the large amount of accumulated wealth. Undue Influence Undue influence is an equitable doctrine that involves one person taking advantage of a position of power over another. The law presumes that in certain classes of relationship there will be a special risk of one party unduly influencing their conduct and motives for contracting. The general rule is whether there was a relationship of such trust and confidence that it should give rise to such a presumption 4.An example of such a case is Odorizzi v. Bloomfield School District CA Ct of App 54 Ca Rpt 533 [1964]. The plaintiff was under contract as a teacher. He was arrested, and the next day he allegedly was pressured by his superiors to sign and deliver his resignation. He was cleared of the criminal charges, and then he sought to be reinstated by the school district. They refused, so he sued to rescind his resignation. He claimed that his resignation should not be enforced because, among other things, he signed it under the â€Å"undue influence† of his superiors. When a party has placed their confidence and trust in another and this relationship is broken, the view of moral relativism will generally see this situation as being wrong. Here we see that the implications of Ethics in contracts being ignored. Ensuring Ethics of Contracts †¢A longstanding relationship –a contract with them raise incentives to perform †¢Avoiding making contracts with cultural groups that view contracts as the ‘beginning of a relationship’, rather than a legally binding agreement [1] †¢Clarifying whether ‘yes’ means ‘maybe’ or ‘no’ and whether signed and detailed contracts are considered to be binding, morally, legally and/or in reputation, †¢How any future misunderstandings and problems will be addressed to be discussed at the time of the contract †¢Only going into contract with parties that are stable and reliable †¢Attempting to reduce buyer’s remorse by †¢Making congratulatory speeches about the agreement’s benefits †¢Never agreeing quickly to any clauses †¢Adding post-agreement gifts and bonuses †¢Publicize the deal by mutual agreement. A wider audience will then place expectations on all parties to perform, or risk losing face and credibility in future arrangements. Most people have a strong desire to act consistently with their own clear commitment Signing a contract We focus so much on deal substance and style that we often lose sight of the problems that can arise at the most critical time of all—when pen is hitting paper. If a lawyer mishandles contract execution, it can lead to a malpractice claim, professional discipline and a very angry client (or, more likely, former client) A DEAL ISN’T â€Å"DONE† UNTIL YOU SEE A FULLY SIGNED AGREEMENT (or, better yet, cash in the bank) 5.As a great example of this, see International Telemeter v. Teleprompter, 592 F.2d 49 (2d Cir. 1979). Kirsch’s client told Kirsch that it had signed a settlement agreement, but Kirsch didn’t get the signed copy into his possession. Kirsch then relayed the alleged good news to the other side. However, Kirsch’s client had a management change before delivering the signed copy, and the new management balked at the settlement. This left Kirsch in the middle—he had told the other side that the agreement was done (and had authority to do so), but his client had reversed course and was saying the deal was never signed. Not only did Kirsch’s eagerness cost Kirsch a client (he resigned), but he has very few defences if his former client sues him for malpractice based on being committed to a deal they didn’t want. This issue also comes up with press releases—no public announcements of a completed deal until you see the fully signed contract. 6.ONGC vs Streamline Shipping Co. Pvt. Ltd. on 22 March, 2002 [7] On 19-2-1999 the appellant floated a tender for manning, running, operating, repairing and maintenance on hire of three vessels under Group IX i.e. Samudrika 2, Samudrika 7 and Sindhu 9. The respondent was one of the tenderers. On 30-12-1999 a contract was signed between the appellant and respondent for vessel Samudrika 2 for the primary term of 2 and half years from 9-12-1999. Clause 1.10.1 of the agreement provided. In the case above a contract was floated between ONGC and Streamline shipping co. for maintenance of three vessels. The vessels were damaged pretty badly in an exploration expedition and ONGC sought their help as per contract. But the streamline shipping company due to the high cost that may be incurred, viewing their personal interests acted unethically in contract and avoided to repair. In the 1990s, this issue reached a zenith as lawyers scrambled to obtain equity in clients, either as part of undertaking the representation or as directed shares when clients were lining up for an IPO. Seeking big payoffs, some lawyers took pretty aggressive interpretations of the rules to engage in these transactions, but it would be a mistake to relegate this behaviour to the dot-com boom. Instead, doing business with clients occurs in all aspects of the legal profession, and it poses significant risks in every format. Parties’ concern of breach Still another reason why it may be rational for parties not to take pains to include many contingent provisions in a contract concern the general possibility of renegotiation of their contract. The reason why we would expect only limited use of contingent provisions is that our legal regime, under which parties usually are able to commit breach and pay damages, serves as an implicit substitute for contingent provisions. Under this regime, a party will be motivated to perform if the cost of so doing is not high, in order to avoid paying damages; whereas he will be led to commit breach if the cost of performing is high, because paying damages will be less expensive than performing. This behaviour – performing when the cost is below a threshold and not performing when the cost would exceed a threshold – is in at least qualitative alignment is considered unethical. Still another reason why it may be rational for parties not to take pains to include many contingent provision s in a contract concerns the general possibility of renegotiation of their contract. The parties can anticipate that if they do not provide for a troublesome contingency and it occurs, they will often be able to renegotiate and resolve their problem. If, for instance, the seller finds that it would be unexpectedly costly to perform when the contract requires that, he might be able to obtain a release from his obligation by paying the buyer some bargained-for sum. Of course, the outcome of such renegotiation may be uncertain and it may introduce an added risk into a contract. The question of the morality of breach is when contracts are incomplete. To ascertain whether a breach in a contingency that was not explicitly provided for is moral or immoral under our definition, one needs to determine whether performance would or would not have been required had the contingency been expressly addressed, and whether the parties to the incomplete contract know this. The morality of breach of incomplete contracts occurs when damages equal the expectation measure. When sellers have to pay damages for breach, they will be motivated to obey the contract if the cost of performance is less than the damages they would have to pay for a breach. If, though, the cost of performance exceeds the damages they would owe for a breach, they will have a financial reason to commit breach. Hence, they will tend to commit breach if and only if the cost of performance exceeds the measure of damages. Ethics comes in this aspect when the sellers has the cost of performance exceeds the damages they have to pay. The ethical aspect is whether to perform the contract or not. Since the penalty is very less compared to the cost of performing the work, the contractor tends to do violate the contract and pay the penalty. This should be avoided by corporations to create a good reputation within its peers. In order to avoid this circumstance, the contracting parties now-a-days agree to have the compensation amount to be greater than the cost of doing the actual work. The case regarding the state of Kerala precisely portrays this part of the ethics in contracts. 7.State Of Kerala vs United Shippers And Dredgers Ltd. on 15 July, 1982 The Government of Kerala through Superintending Engineer, Irrigation Central Circle, Trichur, entered into a contract with the respondent on 19-9-1975 to do the work of improvements to Champakkara Canal-Dredging works and allied works. The work was agreed to be completed on or before 15-7-1976. The agreement also required the contractor to maintain progress in work as prescribed in the schedule in Clause 3 of the agreement. There was also a provision in the contract to enable penalty to be levied in case of failure on the part of the contractor to maintain stipulated progress. The contractor did not maintain stipulated progress and extensions of time were granted on contractors requests as per supplemental agreements. Or account of the delay in maintaining agreed progress in the work; penalties were levied against the contractor at the rates prescribed. After the completion of the work end the drawing of the final bill, disputes arose between the contracting parties and as provided in the agreement. From withheld amount a sum of Rupees 7,35,000/- (Rupees seven lakhs and thirty five thousand only) shall be refunded to claimant by the respondents.. The United shippers Ltd. performed the breach on account of the cost of compensation being higher than the cost of performing contract. The ethical aspect of this made contracts thereafter to rewrite them in lieu of having the cost of compensation and the cost of lost profit to be included in the terms of contract. Had the parties been ethical, it wouldn’t have required the contracts to reinvent their terms for this sake. For example, if the measure of damages is $125 instead of the expectation of $200, breach will occur whenever the cost of performance exceeds $125. Consequently, if breach occurs when the cost is between $125 and $200, for instance when it is $150, the complete contract would have insisted on performance. Such breach would be immoral and unethical, if the seller realizes that the true expectation is $200. Given the conclusions reached in the prior section, what can be said about whether the breach that we see in practice is moral or immoral? If damages tend to be fully compensatory, we could say that breach tends to be moral, as breach should occur if and only if contracting parties would have allowed non performance had they addressed in their contracts the contingencies that engendered breach. But if damages are not really compensatory, breach might be immoral. Situations portraying Ethics Damages tend not to reflect the often considerable delays that victims of breach suffer. The legal costs are not compensated. In view of the foregoing, the practical reality seems to be that breach could be immoral or moral, that we have to inspect the reasons for breach and the knowledge of the party committing breach to know which the case is. To gain an understanding of these issues, a small-scale survey was conducted [8]. The number of respondents were 41. The survey consisted of four questions, each of which asked about the morality of breach and could be answered as follows: (1) definitely unethical; (2) somewhat unethical; (3) neither ethical nor unethical; (4) somewhat ethical; (5) definitely ethical. Assigning a score of 1 to definitely unethical, a score of 2 to somewhat unethical, and so forth. Hence, the lower score, the less ethical a respondent felt breach would be. The first question was designed to ascertain whether respondents believe that breach in general is unethi cal. It was as follows: 8. [8]â€Å"Suppose that a Renovator has made a contract with a construction company to do a Home decor. The Renovator then discovers that the job would cost him a lot more than he had anticipated because the price of decor equipment has risen sharply – so the Renovator would lose money on the job. Is it unethical for the Renovater to break his contract with the company?† Note that the question does not mention whether damages would be paid. The average answer score was 2.41, meaning about midway between somewhat unethical and neither ethical nor unethical. Also, 38 of the 41 respondents found breach unethical or ethically neutral; only 3 of respondents answered that the breach would be somewhat ethical (none as definitely ethical). 9.[8]â€Å"Suppose that a Renovator has made a contract with a construction company and finds that his costs have risen sharply due to an increase in the price of decoration equipment. Suppose too that the Renovator and the company did not discuss this unlikely possibility when they made their contract. However, the Renovator knows what they would have agreed to if they had discussed this possible large cost increase in advance: They would have agreed that the contract would be cancelled if there was a large cost increase – the Renovator would be excused from the contract. Under these assumptions, is it unethical for the Renovator to break his contract?†The average answer score was 3.0, meaning ethically neutral. Also, 17 of the respondents found breach more ethical in this question than they had in the first question; none of the respondents found breach less ethical than in the first question. 10.[8] â€Å"Suppose that a kitchen Renovator has made a contract with a construction company and finds that his costs have risen sharply due to an increase in the price of decoration equipment. Suppose too that the Renovator and the comapany did not discuss this unlikely possibility when they made their contract. However, the Renovator knows what they would have agreed to if they had discussed this possible large cost increase in advance: They would have agreed that the contract would remain in force despite a large price increase – the Renovator would still have to do the job.† The average answer score for this question was 1.56, which is to say, midway between definitely unethical and somewhat ethical. All but three of the respondents found breach to be somewhat or definitely unethical, and the other three considered it ethically neutral. Further, 31 of the respondents found breach to be less ethical than in the prior question where the hypothesis was that performance would not have been agreed to. 11.[8]â€Å"Suppose that a kitchen Renovator has made a contract with a construction comapny and finds that his costs have risen sharply due to an increase in the price of decoration equipment. If the kitchen Renovator breaks his contract with the company, suppose that (as contract law says is required) he compensates the construction company for his losses – for delay, inconvenience, having to hire another renovator, and so forth. Is it unethical for the Renovator to breach his contract?†The average answer score for this question was 3.56, which is about midway between ethically neutral and somewhat ethical. In summary, the individuals participating in the survey found the simple, unqualified fact of breach to be unethical on average (2.41 was the average for question 1). In other words, the felt reaction to the fact of breach is that it is an unethical act. However, when individuals were prompted by being told what contracting parties would have agreed to had they discussed the particular contingency that arose, individuals tended to change their evaluation of the morality of breach, finding it better or worse in the expected way. When informed that if the problematic contingency had been discussed, the contracting parties would have said no duty to perform, individuals found breach ethically neutral (3.0 was the average for question 2). When apprised that if the problematic contingency had been discussed, the contracting parties would have said there was still a duty to perform, individuals found breach to be quite unethical (1.56 was the average score for question 3). And when told that breach would be accompanied by full damages payments, individuals again changed their opinion of breach, finding it to be somewhat ethical (3.56 was the average score for question 4). An important normative aspect of many commentators’ writing on breach is their moral advice. Their writing often suggests that individuals and corporations ought to feel a general ethical duty to obey contracts, that is, a desire to obey contracts above and beyond that due only to having to pay damages for breach. If we could shape individuals’ moral feelings, we would want corporations to put a thumb on the scale in favour of contract performance. According to a perfectly calibrated and flexible moral system, the moral sentiments would come into play if and only if they are needed to correct the too-great incentive of a â€Å"bad man† to commit breach, when the personal benefit from breach would exceed damages but not the true value of the expectancy. This ideal moral system is consistent with the spirit of traditional advice, and is inconsistent with the spirit of efficient breach theory, in that morality has a useful role to play. The actual moral system, however, is not as flexible as the ideal one. The moral impulses probably cannot be freely tailored to turn on for this kind of contract breach and to turn off or that one. The implications for moral advice about breach become complicated, for when giving moral advice, we have to consider the degree to which the advice will be understood as special to the circumstances of the breach, or as having a more general effect, and thus entailing the implicit disadvantages just mentioned. A striking instance of such thinking is that underlying the approach of the German Civil Code to contract performance, according to which the general remedy for breach is supposed to be specific performance. Had it been that contracts are to an important extent incomplete promises and thus on reflection that the morality of promise-keeping does not imply that performance should always occur. Damages are inadequate because it is time-consuming and expensive for the legal system to resolve what would often be contentious proceedings about subjective elements of loss from breach. It may be that our legal system works better avoiding the costs of ascertaining these problematic elements of loss, relying on moral forces, such as they are, to fill the gap in inducing appropriate performance. Conclusion The implications article for the general normative thrust of the writing of traditional commentators concerned with the morality of breach and also of the efficient breach theorists. Assuming that the social objective is to promote an corporate measure of social welfare, one based on individuals’ utilities. In particular, our moral feelings which have been portrayed as Ethics throughout will have a direct effect on social welfare because they are themselves components of corporate utilities and they will also exert an indirect influence on social welfare because they provide incentives toward socially desirable behaviour. In any event, the belief that there is a clear and overarching moral reason to alter contract law to enhance the keeping of contracts appears to me to be the product of an over simple view of the moral sentiments and of a related failure to take into account the importance of the incompleteness of contracts. List of references 1.http://www.bond.edu.au/law 2.Course material on Indian Legal System-IIMC 3.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar 4.Ties that Bind- Donaldson and Thomas 5.http://contracts.uslegal.com/elements-of-a-contract/ 6.http://www.indiankanoon.org/docfragment/927021/?formInput=gujarat%20housing%20board%20vs%20vipul%20corporation 7.http://www.indiankanoon.org/docfragment/1617242/?formInput=ongc%20vs%20streamline%20shipping 8.A Social Contracts Approach to Business Ethics By Thomas