Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Depression Treatments - 1690 Words

CONTEXT Depression is a psychological disease. It is one of the most common mental illnesses (Blais, et al., 2013). Depression was known since antiquity. Hippocrates diagnosed it in fourth century BC (McNamara and Horan, 1986). After World War II, depression was described as â€Å"aggression turned inward† (McNamara Horan, 1986). Now there is Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, which is designed to evaluate how severe is depression (Gibbons et al., 2012). Depression is known worldwide. In European countries there are generally two ways of treatment: using antidepressants or psychotherapy. The systems differ from country to country. In United Kingdom general practitioner [GP] has a right to prescribe drugs, but in Germany only psychiatrist or†¦show more content†¦All their comparisons are in favor of psychological model of treatment. They draw the conclusion that the relationship of patient and therapist is important. The therapist has to support the patient and focus on the context of the problem to provide the best opportunity for symptom reduction (Ankatberg Falkenstrà ¶m, 2008). The treatment should be delivered correctly for the positive outcome. Antidepressants do not affect the cure of patient as much, as it is thought. Therefore the time spent with therapist when the patient is taking antidepressants should be increased. According to Ankatberg and Falkenstrà ¶m (2008), â€Å"patients should feel better understood, supported and engaged in treatment.† But in the earliest research psychotherapy was ranked the least effective at follow-ups (McLean and Hakstian, 1979). Having considered these findings, it would seem that psychotherapy should be investigated more deeply. Also it is possible to treat depression from relational perspective. Gibbons et al. (2012) conducted an experiment. There were patients only with pure depression, without any other disorders. The treatment consisted in discussing five to ten real life stories of the patient that included most important people in their life. The therapist had to go in detail into each relationship to help the patient understand his behavioural patterns that led to depression. The success rate was high. This experiment has proved that dynamic, short-term (12 weeks), and focusedShow MoreRelatedStigma And Treatment Of Depression1585 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction Depression has become a daunting problem around the world, with the World Health Organization listing it as the leading cause of disability.1 As well, in 2030 it is anticipated to be second on a list of fifteen major disease burdens.2 In the United States, depression is a large, but often overlooked epidemic. It is estimated that 6.7% of the U.S. population suffer from depression yearly, with a lifetime diagnosis rate of approximately 16%.3,4 Additionally, it is estimated that 4-5%Read MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Depression1180 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Depression is a serious and prevalent problem in the 21st century and had been for a long time. It is the most common mood disorder and has a lifetime prevalence rate of 6-25% in international studies (Carr, 2012). Reliable diagnosis is vital for the study of mental disorders (Fried, Epskamp, Nesse, Tuerlinckx Borsboom, 2016) and with the rising issue that depression is, individuals with multiple chronic diseases can be tackling depression occurring at the same time thus, it may complicateRead MorePostpartum Depression : Symptoms And Treatments Essay1101 Words   |  5 PagesDepression Postpartum in United States According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, depression is â€Å"a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies.† According to the definition of the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), postpartum depressionRead MoreFactors That Affect The Treatment Of Tina Depression1161 Words   |  5 Pages The purpose of this paper is to examine important misconceptions of psychopathology which could impact the treatment of Tina depression. Discuss her symptoms of depression, intake interview, and why the counselor’s own perception of psychopathology is extremely important in the diagnostic process (GCU, 2015). Make sure her family member knows about medications, treatments, referrals, and any other special instru ctions (Wolters, 1999). MISCONCEPTIONS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY We had a subjectRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Depression Essay2726 Words   |  11 PagesDepression is quite common nowadays-statistics say that nearly 10% of people in the United States suffer from it each year, and 30% of women are depressed. Many of these people suffer in silence, so to speak, never talking to their doctors about their problem, let alone their friends and family. Some are able to find the courage to talk to their regular doctors, though they may feel awkward and shy discussing the problem. And it does take courage to speak up, trust me-I know because I suffer fromRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Depression1950 Words   |  8 Pagesintroduced psychiatric therapy called bibliotherapy helps restore many people’s ailments, such as depression, one piece of literature at a time. Depression is a major disorder that thousands have to live with everyday, but less than half go to a form of therapy for the disorder. Bibliotherapy can either be prescrib ed by themselves or they can get a doctor to give recommendations. Bibliotherapy helps with depression by showing better results than other therapies and by empathizing with many characters andRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Depression Essay2079 Words   |  9 PagesDepression is a disabling mental disorder that is related to mood and characterized by persistent feeling of sadness, poor sleep and suicidal ideation in severe forms. As a topical issue, emphasis is often reserved for those with evident symptoms, with little emphasis on vulnerability. For women, the nature of sex hormone production makes them particularly vulnerable as they grow older and by the age of forty five to sixty years, depressive symptoms are quite common and they are closely related toRead MoreDepression: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments Essay1956 Words   |  8 PagesDepression is an equal opportunity disorder, it can affect any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age. Depression is a sneak thief that slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives - robbing them of their time, and their focus. At first, depression may be undetectable, but in the long run a person could become so weighed down that their life may feel empty and meaningless. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone who commits suicide is depressed, but majority of people whoRead MoreTreatment for Depression1319 Words   |  6 PagesTreatment of Depression Abstract Depression affects many people around the world. Depression can be described as feeling sad, lost, angry, and frustrated. Today, antidepressants are the main way to treat depression. Researchers are working on a new treatment to better help people with depression. This treatment is called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Researchers want to know how TMS can be used, and what type of depression patients they want to use it on. Studies have helped narrowRead MoreTreatments for Depression594 Words   |  2 PagesDifferent types of depression require a variety of treatments, with mild or moderate, a change in lifestyle could be all that is needed, for severe depression, psychotherapy and medication may be necessary. First, spirituality enhances our mood in many ways, an example being the calming effects when one meditates. Feelings of connectedness to other people, and asking questions about our existence and purpose give our life meaning. Practices such as prayer, yoga and meditation can all relax the

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Global Temperature And Climate Change - 1380 Words

Global Temperature The Earth-atmosphere energy cycle is a structure of coordinating atmospheric components. The Kà ¶ppen classification system is a simple format for generalizing climate patterns, partitioning the planet into malleable regions by average environmental conditions. Terms to describe the atypical fluctuations in the Earth’s climate include both global warming and climate change. While global warming denotes an average escalation of temperature, climate change suggests a shift in the overall pattern. Climatic zone instabilities, temperature variation, and other deviations that may interrelate with climate are described as global change. The state of global climatic equilibrium can be discerned through focusing on observable imbalances such as positive radiative forcing by atmospheric gasses, temperature fluctuations, weather phenomena and anthropologic influences. The rate of energy change per unit area of the globe is gauged by radiative forcing. The net gain of energy is positive radiative forcing, with the opposite being negative forcing (SEI GGMI, 2011). According to the National Weather Service (2012), solar energy absorbed by the atmosphere is typically offset by energy released. Positive radiative forcing by atmospheric gasses may amplify imbalances in the global climatic equilibrium. Unbalanced absorption ratios signify functional discrepancies in the Earth-atmosphere energy cycle. Proportions fluctuate, but carbon dioxide (CO2) methane, ozone, nitrousShow MoreRelatedClimate Change : Global Air Temperatures1607 Words   |  7 PagesOur world’s climate is rapidly changing, and those changes will have an enormous impact on our planet’s people, ecosystems, cities, and energy use. Average global air temperatures are already roughly 1.5 degrees higher than they were at the start of the 20th century, and â€Å"have risen about 1 degree over just the last 30 years,† According to the New England aquarium. Climate change can best be described as the long-term change in average weather conditions, including temperature, precipitation andRead MoreIs Global Climate Change Man Made? Global Temperature?1310 Words   |  6 Pages Is global climate change man-made? Global temperature has been changing for the past couple of decades. This leaves research ers to believe that mankind is to blame for this abrupt change. Life on earth depends upon the average climate that has been around for thousands of years. Without this favorable climate, life on earth will be unsustainable. Those who argue that climate change is not affected by humans state that the emissions humans put into the atmosphere are too small to have an effectRead More Impacts of Global Climate Change on Temperature and Precipitation Patterns in the Midwest and the Consequences for Soils1861 Words   |  8 PagesImpacts of Global Climate Change on Temperature and Precipitation Patterns in the Midwest and the Consequences for Soils Introduction During the last century, human activities in agriculture, industry and technology have brought about a change in the chemical composition of the atmosphere. This change so far has not had a noticeable or discernible effect on world climate, but if these same activities continue, global climate change will become irreversible. The major contributing factor isRead MoreClimate Change : Global Warming, And The Disappearing Of The Ozone Layer862 Words   |  4 Pagesknow that with all this talk about global warming, and the disappearing of the ozone layer, the root of the problem is us? Yes, we’re the cause of all those problems. We keep putting something called greenhouse gases into the air. A few greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. While some climate change is natural, humans need to be careful about greenhouse gases because ecosystems are changing, sea levels are rising, and global average temperature increased by more than 1.3 degreesRead MoreGlobal Warming And Climate Change1713 Words   |  7 PagesDefining the Issue Global warming is defined as the recent increase in the world s temperature that is believed to be caused by the increase of certain gases (such as carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere. There are many different theories on whether global warming is similar or not to climate change. Simplistically, climate change is different because climate change is defined as a change in global or regional climate patterns or, in particular, a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwardsRead MoreGlobal Warming And Its Effect On The Global Environment1144 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal warming has emerged as one of the most serious concerns for scientists and environmentalists in the 21st century. This is based on the negative impact of global warming, which is not limited to deforestation, drastic variations in climate, decline in output of global agricultural industry, degradation of ice sheets in Antarctic, decrease in ocean productivity, rise in sea levels, and increase in tornadoes, hur ricanes and floods. The primary reason for global warming has been identified asRead MoreThe Causes And Effects Of Climate Change In Cold Regions706 Words   |  3 Pages(NERC) suggest ‘’Climate in the Antarctic Peninsula has warmed by 3 °C meaning that once stable ice shelves are now retreating’’ (British Antarctic Survey, 2015). This evidence implies that global temperature in cold regions has risen in which it has caused floating sheets to disappear (National Snow and Ice Data Center, 2017). Additionally, government negotiators expect there will be a 4 degrees’ centigrade average global temperature change (Larkin, 2015). This suggest that temperature difference isRead MoreClimate Change : Global Warming875 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the earth’s history, global climate patterns have fluctuated, with these climate patterns going through glacial retreat and advance (NASA 2014). Currently the earth is experiencing a retreat, this sign ificant trend single handily points to human influence being the dominant cause of the observed temperature rise in global climate patterns since the mid-century (NASA 2014). The warming of global climate systems is undisputable supported by unprecedented observations, based upon direct measurementsRead MoreThe Effects Of Global Warming On Our Planet s Ecosystem1173 Words   |  5 PagesMother Earth is burning as we speak; humanity has killed our precious Earth. Global-warming is a vicious killer that was created by the humans on this Earth, and there s no way to cure it. We, as humans, have the power to cleanse the Earth, but instead we destroy it. Heat is absorbed by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. A greenhouse gas absorbs thermal radiation emitted by the Earth s surface. As the sun s energy reaches the Earth’s surface, some of it is released into space, some is absorbedRead MoreThe Economics Of Climate Change1400 Words   |  6 PagesThe Economics of Climate Change The world economy is a very complex system; in the system harmful externalities disrupt capital flows and determine economic productivity. Most notable of these externalities is inadvertent global warming. Spending towards research and regulation of climate change at both the national and international level are very important in determining current and future business trends. Economists and scientists worldwide continuously debate the pros and cons of emissions reduction

Monday, December 9, 2019

8th grade Science water cycle Example For Students

8th grade Science water cycle Term Definition atmosphere the blanket of gas on the surface of Earth condensation the opposite of evaporation. Occurs when a gas is changed into a liquid evaporation the process where a liquid, in this case water, changes from its liquid state to a gaseous state deposition water vapor changes into ice without going through the liquid phase evaportanspiration the process of transferring moisture from the Earth to the atmosphere by evaporation of water and transpiration from plants inflitration process where rain water soaks into the ground through the soil and underlying rock layers percolation movement of water through the soil and its layers mostly by gravity precipitation water released from clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow or hail. It is the primary connection in the water cycle that provides for the delivery of atmospheric qater to the earth. Most precipitation falls as rain. runoff water from rain snow melt or other sources that flows over the land surface sublimation conversion between the solid and the gaseous phases of matter with no intermediate liquid stage. In the water cycle, sublimation is most often used to describe the process of snow and the changing into water vapor in the air without first melting into water. transpiration as plants absorb water from the soil the water moves from the roots through the stems to the leaves. water cycle Describes the continuous movement of water on above and below the surface of Earth. Water is always changing states between liquid, vapor, and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Materials for Artificial Hip Joints

Table of Contents Hip Anatomy Artificial Joint Hip Replacement Materials Selection Current Trends Conclusion Bibliography Footnotes Hip Anatomy The hip anatomy refers to the structures which make up the hip. â€Å"The hip contains various parts. These include bones and joints, which are our major concern, ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, the bursae, and blood vessels, which shall be discussed in this section.†1Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Materials for Artificial Hip Joints’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The hip is an example of a ball and socket joint. The most notable structures in a hip are the bones and joints. The bones are made up of the femur and the pelvis. â€Å"The head of the femur interlocks the acetabulum that is located besides the pelvis†.2 However, wear and tear might occur around the joints, causing chronic pains. This wear and tear might be as a result of acc idents, and or due to excessive walking, leading to a condition known as osteoarthritis.3 This involves replacing the damaged cartilage and bone of the hip joint with artificial ones. This kind of a process is carried out in two different ways: the cemented prosthesis and the uncemented prosthesis. The uncemented prosthesis is whereby the implants are made with special coatings which allow the bone to grow on to the implant. This is crucial since it aids in the integration of the implant into the body.4 This is actually achieved through designing implants which are porous. On the contrary, cemented prosthesis involves the use cement to attach the implant to the bone. The merits of carrying out an artificial joint hip replacement are: helping in movement of the person, doing away with the chronic pain at the joints and also to reduce the tear and wear at the joint. However, a good thing has never lacked shortcomings. The hip is bound to undergo some dislocations, which are caused by the fact that implants are always smaller than the original joint, something which makes the ball to come out of the socket (BoneSmart). It might also lead to blood clots, a condition known as thrombophlebitis and also the patient might fall victim of some infections.5Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Artificial Joint Hip Replacement In the past, traditional materials were being used to replace worn out hip joints. However, these prosthetics were subjected to a lot of wear and tear and were therefore not effective. This necessitated the development of modern materials, which would be more wear resistant and last longer. The implant materials to be used ought to have certain mechanical properties in order to be effective. They are supposed to be wear and tear resistant, hard, strong, with good corrosion resistance and considerable levels of stiffness. Very high stiffness in mater ials can result in weight shielding, which cause eventual fracture of the implants. Other factors such as biocompatibility and degradation of the biomaterials also play a key role in influencing their performance. In view of these properties, metals, ceramics, and polymers are the most used materials in the making of implants for artificial hip joints. The table shows below some of the mechanical properties of the most frequent used materials in this modern world. Metals have good fracture resistance and are stong enough to be used in making of hip joints. However, they have very high stiffness, which, as indicated earlier on, leads to weight shielding. â€Å"Steel is an alloy of iron, nickel,chromium and molybdenum†.6 An implant made from it lasts much longer since it is highly resistant to corrosion. This means that it does not degrade in the body easily. Steel has relatively high stiffness levels and it can be shaped easily, meaning reduced cost of production. On the other hand, nickel, which is contained in steel, might be of a problem to some people who are allergic to it.The other metal which is used to make implants in place of steel is the Freeman cobalt-chromium. This is an alloy composed of cobalt, molybdenum and chromium(27-30% Cr, 5-7% Mo, rest Co). â€Å"The freeman cobalt-chromium is used by patients who are allergic to nickel since it does not contain the latter†.7 Materials Selection Titanium implant is yet another metal which is used in making artificial hip joints. â€Å"A titanium implant has a stiffness of less than half that of stainless steel or cobalt chrome, which therefore reduces the effects of weight shielding. Its constituents give it excellent corrosion resistance, but it does suffer from relatively low fracture toughness and poor wear properties†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Materials for Artificial Hip Joints’ specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Titanium is special since it permits the use of finely polished wear resistant metal heads, which boosts its wear resistance. Polymethylmethacylate (PMMA) is one of the polymers which are most frequently used as grouting material. Its main limitation is that when used, there is always some release of heat to the neighboring bone, causing cell death. Cement might also cower, leading to toxic monomers being emancipated into the bloodstream. Zirconia (zirconium oxide) ceramic has found continued use in making of Zirconium Ceramic Femoral Head. â€Å"It is highly valued due to its mean surface roughness, being very hard and highly resistant to scratching and wear†.8 â€Å"Hydroxyapatite is made up of calcium phosphate, which makes it biocompatible. For this reason, it is, in absence of bone cement, used to coat implants†.9 Current Trends In the current times, the most favored type of implants hybrid ones. This is whereby different type of materials is combined in order to achieve the desired mechanical properties. This goes a long way in assuring the longevity of the implant. Some of these hybrid implants are discussed below. Metal ball (made up of cobalt chrome molybdenum) and Polyethylene liners have gained popularity over the years among the surgeons due to its good performance and durability. Polyethylene is capable of achieving stability in the body while the surgical operation is still underway and it’s also less expensive. The wear rate which is 0.1millimeters each year is a bit low and therefore it’s a better implant.10 Ceramic ball and polyethylene liner is another implant which is widely used. The wear rate is about 0.05 millimeters per year. The other hybrid implant is the metal ball and metal liner. They have very much reduced wear rate and the amount of bone lose is minimal. Of all the implants, these offer the largest ball heads, which means greater stability and therefore the risk of dislocation is highly reduced. Some of the feared aspects are that the metal’s soluble ions might dissolve into the body, being accompanied by some harmful effects. Ceramic ball and ceramic liner implants are the hardest and lowest in terms of wear rate (about 0.0001millimeters per year) but are more expensive than the other implants.11Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion In conclusion, various materials can be used in making artificial hip joints and this majorly rely on the biocompatibility of the material, its mechanical properties, and its level of degradation while in the body. Bibliography Cluett, J, Hip Replacment Implant Options, 2008, retrieved http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipkneereplacement/a/implants.htm. Drijber, FLIP JB Finlay, Proc Instn Mech. Engrs—Part H: J Eng Med, vol. 204, no.H4, 1990, pp. 253- 258. Malik, H, Advanced Hip Replacement, 2010, retrieved http://www.hammadmalik.co.uk/1/HipReplacement.aspx. Orthogate, Hip Patient Education, Artificial Hip Dislocation Precautions, 2000-2007, retrieved http://www.orthogate.org/patient-education/hip/. Queen Mary, Department of Materials: Materials Selection for Total Hip Replacement, 2010, retrieved http://www.materials.qmul.ac.uk/casestud/implants/. ScienceDaily, ‘Cementless Hip Implants Are Durable For At Least 20 Years,’ Number of stories in archive s, vol. 93, May 3, 2009, p. 728, retrieved http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501154133.htm. Turner, I, Why Study Materials?, UK Centre for Materials Education, 2008-2010, retrieved http://www.whystudymaterials.ac.uk/casestudies/hip-replacement.asp. William, DC, Materials Science and Engineering: an introduction Wiley, 3rd edn, John Wiley sons, New York, 2008. Footnotes 1 Orthogate, Hip Patient Education, Artificial Hip Dislocation Precautions, 2000-2007, retrieved http://www.orthogate.org/patient-education/hip/,p.1. 2 Ibid, p.1. 3 H Malik, Advanced Hip Replacement, 2010, retrieved http://www.hammadmalik.co.uk/1/HipReplacement.aspx, p.1. 4 Ibid, p.1. 5 FLIP Drijber JB Finlay, Proc Instn Mech. Engrs—Part H: J Eng Med, vol. 204, no.H4, 1990, pp. 253- 258. 6 DC William, Materials Science and Engineering: an introduction Wiley, 3rd edn, John Wiley sons, New York, 2008, p.728. 7 Ibid, p.278. 8 I Turner, Why Study Materials?, UK Centre for Materials Education, 2 008-2010, retrieved http://www.whystudymaterials.ac.uk/casestudies/hip-replacement.asp,p.1. 9 ScienceDaily, ‘Cementless Hip Implants Are Durable For At Least 20 Years,’ Number of stories in archives, vol. 93, May 3, 2009, p. 728, retrieved http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090501154133.htm,p.728. 10 Queen Mary, Department of Materials: Materials Selection for Total Hip Replacement, 2010, retrieved http://www.materials.qmul.ac.uk/casestud/implants/,p.1. 11 J Cluett, Hip Replacment Implant Options, 2008, retrieved http://orthopedics.about.com/od/hipkneereplacement/a/implants.htm, p.1. This essay on Materials for Artificial Hip Joints’ was written and submitted by user Jordan Rivers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Invention of Credit Cards

Invention of Credit Cards What is credit? And what is a credit card? Credit is a method of selling goods or services without the buyer having cash in hand. So a credit card is simply an automatic way of offering credit to a consumer. Today, every credit card carries an identification number that speeds up shopping transactions. Imagine what a credit purchase would be like without it.  The sales person would have to record your identity, billing address and terms of repayment. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the use of credit cards originated in the United States during the 1920s, when individual firms, such as oil companies and hotel chains, began issuing them to customers. However, references to credit cards have been made as far back as 1890 in Europe. Early credit cards involved sales directly between the merchant offering the credit and credit card and that merchants customer. Around 1938, companies started to accept each others cards. Today, credit cards allow you to make purchases with countless third parties. The Shape of Credit Cards Credit cards were not always been made of plastic. Throughout history, there have been credit tokens made from metal coins, metal plates, and celluloid, metal, fiber, paper and now mostly plastic cards. First Bank Credit Card The inventor of the first bank issued credit card was John Biggins of the Flatbush National Bank of Brooklyn in New York. In 1946, Biggins invented the Charge-It program between bank customers and local merchants. The way it worked was that merchants could deposit sales slips into the bank and the bank billed the customer who used the card. Diners Club Credit Card In 1950, the Diners Club issued their credit card in the United States. The Diners Club credit card was invented by Diners  Club founder Frank McNamara as a way to pay restaurant bills. A customer could eat without cash at any restaurant that would accept Diners Club credit cards. Diners Club would pay the restaurant and the credit card holder would repay Diners Club. The Diners Club card was at first technically a charge card rather than a credit card since the customer had to repay the entire amount when billed by Diners  Club. American Express issued their first credit card in 1958. Bank of America issued the BankAmericard (now Visa) bank credit card later in 1958. The Popularity of Credit Cards Credit cards were first promoted to traveling salesmen (they were more common in that era) for use on the road. By the early 1960s, more companies offered credit cards by advertising them as a time-saving device rather than a form of credit. American Express and MasterCard became huge successes overnight. By the mid-70s, the U.S. Congress begin regulating the credit card industry by banning practices such as the mass mailing of active credit cards to those who had not requested them. However, not all regulations have been as consumer friendly. In 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court in case Smiley vs. Citibank lifted restrictions on the number of late penalty fees a credit card company could charge. Deregulation has also allowed very high-interest rates to be charged.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

University Admission Essay

University Admission Essay University Admission Essay Secrets of University Admission Essay Writing University admission essay writing is a serious assignment as you have to take into account numerous aspects of your life and then squeeze all that information into a two-three page essay. Not an easy task, is it? Moreover, your university admission essay must be nothing less than brilliant; otherwise, youll never get accepted into university of your dreams. One of our senior writers was a member of admission committee at one of the reputable American universities. We asked him to share his opinion on winning university admission essays. Here are several suggestions:http://.com/blog/writing-admission-essay Bad University Admission Essays More than 90% of applications are poorly written. Those university admission essays never get a single chance to be accepted. Bad university admission essays are five-paragraph papers which are nothing more than a group of unrelated and unsupported sentences. There are no mistakes or grammar problems, but they are boring to read and do not get any attention. Bad admission essays open with the general statement which provides immediate answer to the stated question. Such openings deprive admission committees of an opportunity to be interested in reading till the final sentence. Yes, you must keep the attention of the reader from the very first lines. In overall, there is nothing wrong with the boring university admission essays. However, such an essay will never contribute to your admission, unless you have the best grades in the city. Good University Admission Essays Good university admission essays are not the ones which are written in untraditional way. Good university admission essays are excellent because of their voice. It means that good essay shows your personality rather than tells about it. By showing, I mean that you must appeal to all of the senses. Even if you think that the topic is not relevant (of course, you should not go into description of the absolutely irrelevant issues), the way you present it determines whether you get admitted or not. In addition, you should show respect to the intelligence of the reader. Your good university admission essay should focus on ideas which come behind the details. Finally, do not forget that precision is a power in your university admission essay. Custom Written University Essays If you want to get the best written university admission essays, you may confidently ask our professional essay writers for assistance. We are able to write good university admission essays because we are aware of all the secrets of admission process. Moreover, our writers are experienced and have already helped many students! Do not delay your successful university admission essay writing! Read also: Critical Essay Outline Essays on Patriotism Assignments for Sale Maths Coursework

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Define the Word ( not asking dictionary definitions) Assignment - 1

Define the Word ( not asking dictionary definitions) - Assignment Example Hence, sublime is like a documentary, which has a collection of the art, music, technology, nature, lifestyle and culture of the America. Such include the technological and natural changes as represented by the artists in different forms. As used in the readings, representation means a depiction of ideas in visual arts and literature. Such include the depiction of ethical concerns of the Americans in literature. Thus, representation provides a unique form of non-verbal communication where pictures, images and literature act as the key substitutes of imagined or remembered things in America (David, 1986). Representation gives meaning and a sense of appreciation of the things, which individuals in their current state are not able to perceive or see. It is vital for representation to occur throughout in artwork to ensure that people can have an actual depiction of the things, which they cannot see in their current physical

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Customer Service Training Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Customer Service Training - Assignment Example he paper will identify ways through which deficiencies would be eliminated by justifying the use of needs assessment of the company’s given employee training program. Undoubtedly, training can play a vital role for the success of an organization. Organizations (associated with customer service specifically) hold various training sessions as it is one of the appropriate techniques to meet the goals and objectives and to attain efficient production. Training session for new employees helps them to settle in the fresh new environment and get used to with the company’s policies. Furthermore, these training sessions also helps the new employees regarding the better use of technology and IT (Handy, 2008). Since customer service is a very delicate and important aspect for any business, therefore, it should be noted that the new employees must learn ways through which they can perform better. Also, it can create a steadfast team of their own that has the tendency to overcome issues and fulfill the customer requirements under every circumstance (Marquardt, 2000). The best way to hold a training session for the new employees is through needs assessment technique. There is an avid need to identify the loopholes or the actual training needs that are required by the company, and should be prioritized. For example in the present case of training new employees, there is an obvious need to address them the basic rules and policies of the company regarding customer services and how it stands out in the market. Furthermore, there are numerous tasks and functions that cannot be done without proper training or guidance, for example, the use of technology / IT in the company, etc. This approach would result in paramount returns by investing time and training on the employees by correctly identifying the basic needs, issues in customer service, and other work related queries, while it also helps inappropriately appointing the right employee at the right place (Evenson,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Example for Free

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes is a thought-provoking, often amusing collection of stories from within jazz’s inner circles, told by and about some of the genre’s leading figures. While not a history of jazz, it gives readers some insights to how jazz artists worked, lived, bonded, and coped with an America in which many were still outsiders. The book’s forty-three chapters (expanded from the original 1990 edition) describe the life jazz musicians shared, offering insights into a rather exclusive, unconventional circle of performing artists. The numerous anecdotes are categorized by chapters, gathering related tales and moving from a general overview of jazz life to anecdotes about individuals, like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman. Essentially, Crow creates a context in which jazz musicians lived, and then places individual musicians within it, giving readers a better understanding of how they functioned in this rarified climate. For example, the volume opens with â€Å"Wild Scenes,† which Crow says describes how â€Å"the individuality of jazz musicians combines with the capricious world in which they try to make a living† (Crow 3). The brief chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, giving glimpses of the unconventional world jazz musicians inhabited (which explains to some degree their relationship to society at large). â€Å"The Word ‘Jazz’† contains attempts to explain the origins of the genre’s name, and â€Å"Inventions† offers accounts of how certain innovations occurred (such as Dizzy Gillespie’s distinctive bent trumpet), giving the reader a sense of history though the work is not an orthodox history per se. Many of the stories contained in Jazz Anecdotes convey the musicians’ camaraderie and warmth toward each other, as well as each other’s idiosyncrasies. Others convey how difficult and often arbitrary the jazz lifestyle often was. â€Å"Hiring and Firing† demonstrates how unstable many musicians’ careers were, rife with disputes over money or dismissals for their personal quirks. (For example, Count Basie fired Lester Young for refusing to participate in recording sessions occurring on the 13th of any month. ) â€Å"Managers, Agents, and Bosses† offers a glimpse into the seamier underside of jazz, where dishonest managers and mobsters often trapped jazz performers in unfair contracts or worse. Though jazz musicians appear to inhabit a special world, Crow does not discuss jazz in a social vacuum, tying it to social phenomena like race relations. In â€Å"Prejudice,† the tales take a more serious tone by showing how black jazz artists faced abundant racism, particularly in the South. However, Crow notes that â€Å"Jazz helped to start the erosion of racial prejudice in America . . . [because] it drew whites and blacks together into a common experience† (Crow 148). Jazz artists dealt with racism in various ways – Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday stood up to it while Zutty Singleton accepted it. Meanwhile, even white musicians like Stan Smith angered both races – whites for performing with blacks, and blacks for â€Å"intruding on their music† (Crow 152). The final chapters focus on individual artists, illustrating the greats’ personalities. Louis Armstrong emerges as earthy and good-hearted; Bessie Smith as strong and willful but ultimately self-destructive; Fats Waller is an impish pleasure-seeker given to excellent music but poor business decisions; and Benny Goodman as gifted but tight-fisted and controlling. Taken as a whole, Jazz Anecdotes offers a look at jazz’s human side, including its foibles, genius, camaraderie, crookedness, and connection to an American society from which it sometimes stood apart. Its legendary figures are depicted as gifted, devoted artists who enjoyed hedonism, companionship, and particularly independence. If any single thing stands out in this book, it is the latter; for the figures in this work, jazz meant creativity and freedom, which they pursued with equal vigor and vitality. Crow, Bill. Jazz Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Jamestown Settlement Essay -- American America History

The Jamestown Settlement A group of Europeans, headed by Bartholomew Gosnold, began planning a possible business venture that would send a group of colonists to what was already known as Virginia. Gosnold was apparently the driving force behind getting this operation in place. Gosnold was referred to as "the first mover of this plantation" by Captain John Smith."(Ward) Merchants from London, Bristol and Plymouth sponsored the voyage and persuaded King James to grant a charter and letters of patent to create the Virginia Company. A strange twist to the story was that the man who worked so hard to get this Company started, Gosnold, was unable to become a member but he did manage to become appointed to the resident council. Their job was to work with Virginia associates and be involved in local affairs for the new colony. The Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed were the three ships that set sail for Virginia, from England in February of 1606. The commander of the three ships was Christopher Newport and not John Smith. "In the early evening of May 13, the expedition reached a narrow pear-shaped peninsula about sixty miles up the river, here on the 1500-acre peninsula, it was decided to erect a fortified town to be called Jamestown."(Ward) They decided to give it the name Jamestown in honor of their king. As soon as they landed they began to build a fort in the form of a triangle. They constructed the fort in this manner for purposes of safety against the natives. A triangular fort gave them one less side that they could get attacked from. The land that they decided to build Jamestown on came with many problems. "They could hardly have made a worse selection. The situation was extremely unhealthful, being low and expos... ...uperior weapons. In 1644, Opechancanough organized another mass attack, which would be his last attempt to drive the English away. 500 settlers were killed but the English, in effect won the war. Opechancanough was captured and killed. The Powhatan villages were literally whipped out. "By 1700, the Powhatan tribesman numbered only 1200 when in 1607 their population was estimated at 9000"(Ward) Works Cited: Pryor, Roger. (1907). The Birth of the Nation. New York, New York. The MacMillan Company. Ward, Harry. (1991). Colonial America, 1607-1763. Englewood, New Jersey. Prentice Hall, Inc. Bridenbaugh, Carl. (1980). Jamestown 1544-1699. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Wertenbaker, Thomas. (1929). The First Americans. New York, New York. The MacMillan Company. Eggleston, Edward. (1930). Pocahontas. New York, New York. Dodd, Mead and Company.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Introduction of Western Religions Essay

Religion is an integral part of human life. Over the years various religions have laid principles with which their followers can easily be identified. Each one of the religions has specific traditions which define them. This discussion looks at three main religions in the west namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam and the traditions that identify each one of these religions. Judaism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Some of the core characteristics of this religion include the belief in one Holy and Supernatural being. This religion does not believe in the existences of many gods but instead they believe that there is only one God who is the creator of the heavens and earth and all that is contained therein. In addition, this religion believes that God who created mankind has concern for the welfare of all human beings. Christianity is equally a monotheistic religion whereby followers believe in the existence of one God. This religion is bended on the life and times of Jesus Christ who is the son of God and who was sent by his Father so as to save mankind. See more: how to write an introduction paragraph Just like in Judaism, Christianity has principles which act as guidelines. Christians believe in the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity comprises of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They believe that the Holy trinity works in unison. Christians also believe in death of human beings and life after death. They believe that when a person dies he or she will either go to hell or heaven depending on a person’s deeds while on earth. Another pillar or tenet of the Christian faith is the Church which they equate to the body of Christ. Christians also have faith that Jesus Christ will come again to judge those who will be alive and those who will be dead. Islam also believes in the worship of one God. This religion has five main pillars. They include the shahadah. This is the basic tenet in the religion and it involves the confession that Allah is the only true God who deserves to be worshipped by all mankind. Salah is also one of the Islam pillars and it involves praying five times a day while facing a particular direction. Zakat involves giving a part of wealth to the needy people in the society. Sawm refers to the period of fasting where the Muslims fast for a period of one month during the Holy Month of Ramadhan. This is a period when Muslims refrain from pleasures of the world to reflect on God. Hajj is also a pillar of the Muslim faith where faithful walk all the way to Mecca. This is done once in a lifetime. In conclusion, every religion has its core tenets with which it is identified with. For a person to be considered a faithful of a particular religion, they must concur with the laid down principles of the religion. Any person who wishes to join a particular religion must be well aware of the tenets of that particular religion and follow them to the letter. Of these three religions, one common aspect is that they believe in the existence of only one God. This is what is known as monotheistic religion where there is only one God who is to be adored and worshipped.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Occupational Health And Safety Management System Construction Essay

Civil technology is a term of planning, planing, edifice, and direction of the installations that are indispensable to civilisation. As a portion of commanding to cut down wastes in it ‘s all forms ( clip, money, effortaˆÂ ¦etc ) , direction is necessary for the technological progresss due to human wellness and wellbeing and the protection of Earth ‘s ecosystems. The planning, design and building of big, one-of-a-kind systems and constructions is a trademark of civil technology. Civil applied scientists usually apply the rules of geotechnical technology, structural technology, environmental technology, transit technology and building technology to residential, commercial, and industrial and public works undertakings of all sizes and degrees of building. Besides they may work in research, design, building supervising, care, or even in gross revenues or direction. Each of these countries involves different responsibilities, different accents, and different utilizations of the applied scientist ‘s cognition and experience. Much of the work of civil applied scientists is carried on out-of-doorss, frequently in rugged and hard terrain or under unsafe conditions. One of the taking company that provide ready mix concrete is Al Quds Readymix ( AQRM ) in Jordan. It was established in 1996 but In 2005 the company changed into Shareholding Company with a fund of 14 million JD.2. Health and Safety Management:The degree of building safety in a state is affected by a batch of facets such as fluctuations in the labour forces, insurance rates, legal effects, switching economic systems, and the phase of technological development. This issue ca n't be solved by theories ; there should be a systematic process to increase the safety degree through building. The effectual processs include planing, pre-planning, preparation, direction confidence and the development of a safety civilization. Health and safety direction is an duty. Figure 2 show that building Fieldss are the most sectors that indicate hurts. Fig.2: Injuries rates for industry, building, and fabrication. ( 2 )2.1 Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) :OSHA is federal bureau created by President Richard M Nixon, on December 29, 1970 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA aims to forestall work-related hurts, unwellnesss, and occupational human death by publishing and implementing regulations called criterions, to accomplish a healthy and safe environment at workspace will take to: ( 2 ) Bureau of labour statistic, US section of labour, December 2002 Get familiar with hazards and jeopardies and extinguish them. Prevent and protect workers from unwellness and hurts. Eliminate decease accident at the workspace. Give qui vives and information for the directors to assist bettering wellness and safety civilization at the workspace. Improve director ‘s assurance.2.2 Safety Management Systems ( SMS )Safety direction systems can be defined as the specific application ofA quality managementA to safety. It gives an effectual manner to calculate and place jeopardies and hazards. SMS involves that the company should see each hazard or jeopardy within its sections as a peculiarly individual system instead that several. If safety is non seen wholly, it can interfere with the precedences of developments or lead to holes at the safety system willing to construct. An effectual execution of SMS is to hold a clear rating at jeopardies as whole.2.2.1 Construction Occupational Health and Safety Management System ( COHSMS )Construction occupational wellness and safety direction system constitutes a set of steps refering wellness and safety direction that are implemented and operated continually and wholly, performed in concurrence with other direction systems, such as building direction system. The system includes the fol lowers: Declarations of policies related to wellness and safety ( hereinafter referred to as â€Å" wellness and safety policy † or â€Å" project wellness and safety policy † ) . Probe of hazards and/or jeopardies and finding of countermeasures to be taken based on the consequence of the probe. Adoption of marks for wellness and safety ( hereinafter referred to as â€Å" wellness and safety marks † or â€Å" project wellness and safety marks † . Formulation, execution, rating and betterment of programs for wellness and safety ( herein after referred to as â€Å" wellness and safety programs † or â€Å" project wellness and safety programs † .2.3 Construction Safety Planning:Safety planning plays its of import function in building undertaking direction for cut downing unneeded cost and holds related to unsought accidents. Safety planning ensures that safety will be taken into history along with costs, agendas, quality and other of import occupation ends. Safety planning includes placing all possible jeopardies and risky operations and safety steps. This safety planning can be enhanced into safety hazard direction system by adding more undertakings: placing safety jeopardies, sorting hazards, commanding the hazards and supervising the execution. Among these undertakings, safety jeopardy designation is the most of import, since failure to place safety jeopardies means safety steps are non adequately investigated.2.4 Project Safety ManagementHealth and safety in undertakings is a policy that aims to do the direction of wellness and safety hazards an indispensable portion of the undertaking planning procedure. Pull offing wellness and safety is non merely an duty but is besides frequently expected by our concern and research spouses. All undertakings require hazard appraisal and safe systems of work under the wellness and safety regulations. This policy is designed for big or complex undertakings. It provides a agency of uniting wellness and safety certification for the different facets of the undertaking into a clear direction program. There are assorted grounds for sing safety direction as an of import facet in undertakings. The major 1s are: Human Factor: Accidents result in loss of life or in disablement of a human being. It consequences in agony of the dependents on the injured or dead individual. Hence every organisation must recognize the value of safety direction. Law and Regulations: The organisation has to be concerned about the punishments and effects imposed by regulations and ordinances, related to safety. Organizational Image and Reputation: Accidents in the undertakings cut down the assurance degree of clients and stain the organisation ‘s image. Economic Factors: Organization needs to see the disbursals associated due to miss of safety direction. These disbursals can be categorized in Direct and Indirect disbursals. Direct Expenses: ( These are the existent costs incurred in happening of a hazard ) . Expenses incurred in interventions of the injured. Compensations to be provided to the dependents of dead or injured. Increased insurance premiums. Replacement costs. Legal disbursals. Indirect disbursals: Decelerate down in work. Decrease in morale of fellow workers Time lost by other workers. Administrative disbursals. Loss of client assurance. Overtime needed to cover the lost clip. fig.3: Cause of Accidents in the Construction Industry ( 2001 ) . ( 3 ) ( 3 ) www.jniosh.go.jp3. Entire Quality Management ( TQM ) :3.1 Quality Control and Quality Assurance ( QC/QA ) :Quality control ( QC ) is a systematic technique that ensures a merchandise or a service is run intoing the specified quality standards and demands of clients or client. Quality Assurance ( QA ) is a term used for the set of processs that performed to guarantee the merchandise or service is run intoing its demands under the action of production before it ‘s completed. The chief difference between QC and QA is demonstrated below: Systematic activities that are indispensable that provides assurance that demands are right recognized and merchandises or services conform to specified demands. The technique by which merchandise or service quality is compared with criterions ; and commanding the nonconformity issues. QA sets up and evaluates house ‘s procedures QA verifiy if the merchandise or service meets specifications and criterions. QA is the duty of all who works in quality. QC is the duty of the 1 is concerned. QA avoids defect before production. QA Detects, analyze and holes defects3.1.1 Quality Control through Al Quds Ready-mix:Ready assorted concrete production is playing an of import function at building concern environment presents. Al Quds provides a high quality of concrete used in building plants. Production concrete has many different degrees phases and it is necessary to accomplish the needed quality in these operations. Al Quds is be givening to develop the feature of concern processs through the whole company. Al-Quds has a to the full equipped research lab with testing tools for sum and concrete. These tools are calibrated by â€Å" Arab Center for Engineering Surveies † and â€Å" The Royal Scientific Society † . A squad of applied scientists and technicians are qualified to manage proving for bettering the quality of concrete merchandises. As a measure of quality betterment, Al Quds has signed an understanding with â€Å" Arab Center for Engineering Surveies † late to conform the quality of concrete alloy produced and aggregative. Due to this understanding, scheduled random samples are tested and calibrated on a regular basis.3.2 TQM Definition:Entire Quality Management is a technique attack that first established in the 1950 ‘s and has become more popular since the early 1980 ‘s. Entire Quality is a account of the civilization, attitude and organisation of a house that tends to supply clients with merchandises and services with a satisfied quality. TQM is a method by which directors and employees can affect in the uninterrupted betterment of the production. It is a mixture of quality and direction tools intended at increasing net incomes and cut downing losingss as possible.3.2.1 TQM Implementation at Construction Firms:In developing a entire quality civilization in building, one of import measure is to develop a building squad of a chief contractor and subcontractors who would perpetrate to the quality procedure and develop a true quality attitude. Therefore, the chief contractor should merely choose subcontractors who have demonstrated choice attitude and work public presentation on old occupations. Te following basic stairss to implementing TQM in building undertakings: Obtain the committedness of the client to quality ; Generate consciousness, educate, and alter the attitudes of staff ; Develop a procedure attack toward TQM ; Prepare undertaking quality programs for all degrees of work ; Institute uninterrupted betterment ; promote staff engagement and part utilizing quality control circles and motive plans ; and Review quality programs and step public presentation.3.2.2 Resistance to Total Quality Management in ConstructionThe factors which may do opposition in the execution of TQM in building are: Product Diversity: All edifices constructed are alone. Quality is seen as consisting of those merchandise characteristics which meet the individualized demands of the clients and thereby supply merchandise satisfaction, supplemented with a provision of freedom from lacks. Organizational Stability: The building industry has a high figure of organisational prostrations, particularly during a downswing in the economic system. Therefore, commitment toward TQM schemes and policies that may take several old ages to supply †pay offs † may be perceived as futile or a misdirection of resources. As compared to the caput office, the edifice site is ephemeral. Teams specially formed for a undertaking may discontinue to be after contractual duties end.3.3 ISO9001-2000 for Construction Firms:ISO 9001-2000 is a quality direction system standard.A Any building organisation needs a strong direction system to accomplish its benefits as a trade grade 1t the market topographic point. Therefore ISO 9001-2000 is the appropriate tool to increase client satisfaction and productiveness. ISO 9001-2000 offers resource be aftering to effectual monitoring and undertakings control. ISO tends to cut down client ailments by increasing efficiency of quality direction system.4. Fiscal Management:Fiscal direction is a planning systemA for the futureA of a concern activityA to do certain aA constructive hard currency flow. It includes the direction and care of fiscal assets. Fiscal direction contains the procedure of sorting and pull offing hazards. Fiscal direction concerns rating instead than the techniques of fiscal quantification. A fiscal director should take into consideration the informations to command the public presentation of the firm.A Managerial financeA is an interdisciplinary attack that is including both managerial accounting and corporate finance. Financial managementA is the scientific discipline of money direction as experts says. However, A fiscal direction has the precedence human being because every unit needs to look after its fundss.4.1 Types of Construction ContractsWhileA building contractsA serves as a agency of pricing building, they besides construction the allotment of hazard to the assorted parties involved. The proprietor has the exclusive power to make up one's mind what type of contract should be used for a specific installation to be constructed and to put forth the footings in a contractual understanding. It is of import to understand the hazards of the contractors associated with differentA types of building contracts. Lump-Sum Contract: In this type the contractor is responsible of all the hazards, and he is expected to bespeak higher net incomes to avoid sudden failures. Other committednesss are made through this contract such as describing systems or a quality control plan. Any term of cost that is non mentioned the net incomes of the contractor will be reduced by that sum. Unit Price Contract: In this type, the hazard of misguided estimation of unsure measures for some undertakings has been removed from the contractor. Contractors might offer an â€Å" imbalanced command † if they discovered big difference between its estimations and the proprietor ‘s estimations of these measures. Cost plus Fixed Percentage Contract: Some proprietors are forced to see all hazards of cost as overproductions. Particularly in the building that involves engineering. The contractors are acquiring the existent cost plus a fixed per centum. Cost plus Fixed Free Contract: This type is merely every bit same as the one above except that in fixed free ; contractors are acquiring the occupation cost with fixed fee regardless the clip of the occupation. Cost plus Variable Percentage Contract: For this type, the contractor will perpetrate a punishment if the existent cost exceeds the theoretical occupation cost to a punishment if the existent cost exceeds the estimated occupation cost, and on the other sides, contractor is rewarded for cut downing the existent cost. Guaranteed Maximal Cost Contract: Sometimes the proprietor might make up one's mind to inquire the contractor to be responsible of all the hazards ( existent undertaking cost and undertaking clip. Any work alteration orders from the proprietor must be highly minor if at all, since public presentation specifications are provided to the proprietor at the beginning of building. The proprietor and the contractor agree to a undertaking cost guaranteed by the contractor as upper limit. There may be or may non be extra commissariats to portion any nest eggs if any in the contract.4.2 Key Performance Indicator ( KPI )In any house there should be a step of its success and public presentation, hence KPI is a step of how a house is come oning to carry through its mark. KPI is dependent on the house ‘s type and activity and its normally monitored usingA concern intelligenceA techniques. Nowadays KPI ‘s are monitored by a process called â€Å" Business Activity Monitoring ( BAM ) †4.2.1 Construction KPI ‘ sPull offing house ‘s growing and its economic challenges demands pull offing catching and subcontracting houses to develop a controlled concern scheme. As a portion of this scheme ; the KPI ‘s that should be monitored in building houses are: Liquid: A It refers to how much hard currency the houses is deriving or devouring. Labor Productivity: Productivity issues have a immense consequence on net income borders due to interrupt in labour budgets. Separating occupations within a undertaking is a must to place the difference between existent and theoretical labour outgos. Cash Flow: It refers to single undertakings and how much are impacting in hard currency. Committed Cost: Construction houses may confront fiscal exposure due to un-committed providers and subcontractor. In this instance the house should raise the committed costs proportion. Agenda Discrepancy: This index refers to the discrepancy timing in a undertaking. Project timeline should be monitored on a regular basis for minimal discrepancy. Un-approved alteration orders: Firms should extinguish fiscal exposure to place its un-approved alteration order. Customer Satisfaction: Firms should supervise its ability to run into the desired specification by analysing costumer feedback.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Henry Fleming and The Red Badge of Courage essays

Henry Fleming and The Red Badge of Courage essays In The Red Badge of Courage, a young man named Henry Fleming develops many attributes I compare and contrast to. Crane "paints" a vivid picture of what life was like for the fragile Henry Fleming. He demonstrates a sense of separation in Fleming's life that I can relate to. Crain portrays an image of insecurity in Henry, which I sharply collate with. As the narrative, The Red Badge of Courage opens, Henry and his mother are engaged in a quarrel about Henry leaving to join the Army. By going against his mother's wishes and disobeying her, he isolates himself from his family. Since my mother has shown favor to my older sister, I too, have separated myself from her. This isolation is imperative to the way Henry lives his life during his time in the Army, and to the way I live my daily life at home with my mother. Moral support is something that a family, especially a mother, provides for a child, but because Henry and I have disassociated our selves from our mothers, we neglect to receive this. This moral support is needed during the hard times of life, but when Henry looks for this support, he realizes that he's pushed it away, far out of his life, and that it is almost imperceptible. During war, a soldier's most important support system is his/her regiment. This is a support system that Henry has and then loses throughout this time period in his life. All through the war, Henry questions his courage and bravery. He wonders if he will turn and run when death is looking him in the eyes, or if he will decide to stay and do what he came to do; prove that he is a man and can handle even death itself. Throughout my life, I have continually stayed secure within myself, and always have trusted and stood by my decisions. During the battle, several soldiers are wounded earning their "red badge of courage" and Henry becomes envious of those men. The soldiers in the regiment feel a certain pride and respectability from earning their "red b...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Visa E-1 para comerciantes bajo tratado (import-export)

Visa E-1 para comerciantes bajo tratado (import-export) La E-1 permite a los ciudadanos de ciertos paà ­ses obtener una visa de trabajo para desarrollar o dirigir en Estados Unidos un negocio de comercio (import/export). La primera condicià ³n de la visa es pertenecer a uno de los paà ­ses con los que USA tiene un acuerdo de ese tipo. Listado de pases cuyos ciudadanos o compaas pueden solicitar una visa E-1 Hay que ser de un paà ­s con el que Estados Unidos tiene un acuerdo de comercio que permite privilegios migratorios. Son los siguientes: AlemaniaArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBà ©lgicaBoliviaBosnia-HerzegovinaBruneiCanadChileColombiaCorea del SurCosta RicaCroaciaDinamarcaEsloveniaEspaà ±aEstoniaEtiopà ­a  FilipinasFinlandiaFranciaGreciaHolandaHondurasIrnIrlandaIsraelItaliaJapà ³nJordaniaKosovoLetoniaLiberiaLuxemburgoMacedoniaMà ©xicoMontenegroNoruegaOmnPakistnParaguayPoloniaReino UnidoSerbiaSingapurSurinamSueciaSuizaTailandiaTaiwnTogoTurquà ­aYugoslavia Otros requisitos de la visa E-1 La persona o la empresa que solicita la visa tiene que tener ya un importante intercambio comercial con Estados Unidos. No sà ³lo tiene que tratarse de bienes, sino que tambià ©n pueden ser servicios. Adems, USA debe ser la fuente o destino de ms del 50 por ciento del total de intercambio comercial que tiene el solicitante de la visa. La relacià ³n comercial de importacià ³n/exportacià ³n debe tener un valor econà ³mico sustancial. Las leyes de inmigracià ³n no dicen exactamente cunto, pero sà ­ que debe ser relevante. El solicitante de la visa debe tener experiencia y conocimientos de negocio suficientes para desarrollar y dirigir el negocio. Por à ºltimo, esta es una visa no inmigrante, esto quiere decir que la persona a la que se le aprueba al visa tiene que salir de Estados Unidos una vez que su visa se cancele o no se renueve. Para quines estn pensadas estas visas Para ejecutivos y gerentes de empresas. Generalmente la visa es aprobada en 4-6 semanas.  A diferencia de lo que ocurre con la visa L-1 en el caso de la E-1 no es necesario demostrar haber trabajado con la empresa por dos aà ±os antes de aplicar por el visado.   Para trabajadores esenciales o especialistas. Si bien en estos casos es ms difà ­cil obtener la aprobacià ³n.   Pero si se consigue los trmites son muy rpidos: un par de semanas en la mayorà ­a de los casos. Visas para familiares de personas con una visa E-1 El cà ³nyuge y los hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os pueden solicitar una visa derivada. Pueden estudiar en Estados Unidos y solicitar un permiso de trabajo enviando el formulario I-765 al Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y pagando la cuota correspondiente. Para las personas interesadas en traer a sus hijos con ellos a vivir en Estados Unidos es de interà ©s familiarizarse con los puntos bsicos del sistema educativo, antes de haber llegado ya al paà ­s y tener que escolarizar a los nià ±os. Adems, se podrà ­a solicitar la visa B para los empleados domà ©sticos del titular de una E-1. Vigencia de la visa Indefinidamente mientras se pruebe el nivel sustancial de la relacià ³n comercial entre Estados Unidos y el paà ­s del solicitante de la visa. En principio se otorga por dos aà ±os, que se puede extender en incrementos de otros dos aà ±os. Pero se puede renovar tantas veces como se necesite. Por regla general cuando el titular de la visa E-1 viaja fuera de Estados Unidos y se vuelve a ingresar se otorga automticamente esa extensià ³n. Pero esto no sucede con su familia que tiene visado derivado y debe pedir la extensià ³n antes de que su visa actual expire. Esto es muy importante para evitar quedarse en una situacià ³n de ilegalidad migratoria. Forma jurdica para la empresa y dnde crearla Existen 10 tipos de empresa que se pueden crear. Se puede elegir la ms conveniente. Asimismo, a la hora de crear un negocio conviene tener en cuenta asuntos como el monto de los impuestos locales y estatales y tambià ©n el nivel de vida, es decir, cunto es el costo de la vivienda, alimentacià ³n, seguro mà ©dico, transporte, etc. No todos los estados brindan las mismas condiciones para hacer negocios siendo estos los considerados como ms pro-business. En Estados Unidos hay grandes diferencias geogrficas y las condiciones de vida pueden ser radicalmente distintas en un lugar o en otro, como demuestra este listado de las 10 ciudades ms caras y de las 10 ciudades ms baratas.  Por lo tanto antes de elegir dà ³nde crear la empresa, es de obligacià ³n asesorarse.   Otras opciones cuando la E-1 no es posible o conveniente La visa E-2 para inversià ³n incluye algunos paà ­ses no presentes en el listado de la E-1. Es una visa parecida, pero diferente. Una de las cosas que hay que tener muy claras respecto a la E-2 es cà ³mo entender la cantidad a invertir. Si ni la E-1 ni la E-2 son opciones, estas  8 posibles visas para fundar una empresa en USA (startup). Adems, hay ms de 20 paà ­ses que permiten obtener la ciudadanà ­a y/o la residencia a cambio de una inversià ³n. Las condiciones y los precios varà ­an.   Por à ºltimo, si se tiene un mà ­nimo de medio millà ³n de dà ³lares para invertir, la visa de inmigrante EB-5 es una opcià ³n. Se obtiene una green card (tarjeta de residencia) para el inversionista y su familia. Y si se decide asentarse en los Estados Unidos ya sea temporalmente con una visa o definitivamente con una green card es muy importante conocer desde el principio temas legales, migratorios y sociales que van a hacer la vida ms fcil.    Curiosidad Los hispanos somos en la actualidad el grupo minoritario ms numeroso en los Estados Unidos.   Estas son las 10 nacionalidades de hispanos ms exitosas en Estados Unidos. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Online discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Online discussion - Essay Example The replica is someone very similar to the individual rather than the individual being himself/herself. While the replica is contiguous psychologically to the extent of complete dematerialization, its cause is not normal. The belief that telereporter takes the individual to the Mars is wrong line of reasoning because the individual wants the person existing on Mars to be him/her that is not possible. This line of reasoning is hence fallacious as it lies under the Ego Theory. Ego Theory suggests that the continued existence of an individual is explained through experiential persistence. For example, split-brain patients’ brains are deprived of the dominant hemisphere due to which, their left hand writes blue and the other writes red when they are asked what color they see when presented a blue placard appearing on one side and a red on another. The Ego Theory separates an individual from experiences which is

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 46

Homework - Assignment Example The evidence tallied to the same observation. The world had enough reason to believe the earth was round (Magan pp. 8). Since then, the shape of the earth was under constant investigation with many scholars drawing endless observation that showed the earth was round indeed. Some of the evidences include; when two sailors are on the ocean, one in front and another one right behind. The observer standing at the beach starts to see the smoke of the ship of the first sailor and then the other one emerges. If the earth was flat, then the two sailors would have been seen at the same time in their relative position. If a traveler would be heading southern part of the earth, the group of stars appears to rise higher above the horizon. This could only mean the earth is round. Similar observation was made in that; some stars could be seen when one is at a particular location but disappear when one move to another

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Exam II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Exam II - Essay Example It is true that, the application of this agreement has helped to reduce the negative outcome of the war. In February 1848, the Mexican-American war was formally ended by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Over the next years, the tension between the United States and the Government of Mexico continued to rumble. The Gadsden Purchase treaty helped to settle the occurrence of dispute on Texas. The Gadsden Purchase included lands west of the Rio Grande and south of the Gila River. The purpose of the Treaty is for the construction of transcontinental railroad in United States along a southern road. The Gadsden Purchase is also linked to the settlement of the border issues. The key boundaries of the United States of American have been settled by the implementation of the Gadsden Purchase. The Mexican army was defeated by the Americans in a number of battles that forced Mexicans to surrender. The war was considered by the Massachusetts as a crime. In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo helped to provide half-a-million square miles to United States (Tate, 2013). The line of the Gila River and the Rio Grande became international border. Moreover, the formally gave away of additional territory was not accepted by President Polk. On September 15, 1853, James Gadsden met with Santa Anna. A verbal instruction has been sent by President Pierce for Gadsden. An agent for United States investors, Christopher Ward was the one who took verbal instruction to Gadsden. The instructions gave negotiation option for Gadsden for a greater share of northern Mexico to 15 million dollars and Lower California for 50 million dollars. The instruction of the President Pierce to sell large portion of Mexico was refused by Santa Anna. Santa Anna wanted to gather money to reduce the ongoing reb ellions. This is the reason behind the application of treaty between Gadsden and Santa Anna. Mexican border was heavily raided by Americans. The Treaty was also

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Global Marketing And Expansion Into The US

Global Marketing And Expansion Into The US Introduction Roustam Tariko, founder of the Roust Holdings planned to establish a brand that will set up new standards of world class quality for new breed of global Russian brands. Traiko focused on setting up the standards by a product which is distinctive because of its Russian Heritage so that Russians can take pride in it, and to fulfill this requirement vodka was the obvious option as it is developed in Russia and strongly associated with the country. Tariko launched the vodka and by 2002, Russian Standard was outselling all other brands achieving the top position in the vodka market. This success of the Russian brand was attributed because of its consistent product quality, packaging, and merchandising and of course because of its strong depiction of Russian heritage. Encouraged by its success, Tarikos management launched the Russian Standard in the European countries aiming to make it the best vodka globally. Russian Standard vodka was making business in around 10 European countries, the company wishes to enlarge the business by further crossing the boundaries by entering into the US Market. Vodka is very famous in the US; it has a huge market, largest around the globe and there are many best selling companies which offer premium quality vodka. Launching Russian Standard vodka in US would mean high competition with the already existing brands that are quite popular among customers. The Russian Standards also expanded the list as Tariko decided to launch a new type of bank which will serve foreign trade companies, small business and individual customers. The challenge faced by the Russian Brands team was to make the two diverse businesses compatible with each other while maintaining the standards of the Russian Brand. The report presents a brief overview of the brand equity concept of the Russian Standards and the reasons behind its success story, discusses the horizontal brand diffusion in terms, and also debates over the possibility of launching Russian Standard in US and whether it needs to change its strategies to attract the customers. Brand equity is considered to be a crucial source for profitability. A firm with strong brand equity can have a significant edge in the market as compared to its competitor. It can be able to charge higher prices with its brand image backing it up. The firm can also enjoy a larger market share, a possibility of further product extensions and even draw more investment into the existing business. This is the reason why in the present world, branding or brand image has become a very important strategic issue for businesses. Businesses such as Pepsi, Coca Cola, Ralph Lauren, Nestle etc have very strong brand equities, because of which they are able to enjoy huge market shares as well as the ability to price their products higher than what they would have if they did not have their respective brand names. Brand equity is the value of a company which is only because of its name. As observed by Dr. Ramachandran (2010) brand equity is the outcome which is attributed to the products brand name as compared to the same product without a brand name. Due to the benefits strong brand equity can provide, every corporate entity works their utmost to excel others in the retail sector. However the question arises that what makes a brands equity stronger than it is? According to Kellers (2003) brand equity pyramid, there are mainly four steps and six building blocks which establish a consumer based brand equity for a firm, namely; Salience (identity), Performance and Imagery (meaning), Judgments and Feelings (Response) and finally Resonance (relationship) (Appendix 1). These are the steps at which the consumer asks respective questions related to the firm, and each step leads onto the next until the consumer places complete confidence in the firm, and thus the firm is able to acquire strong brand equity. This model by Keller (2003) can be used to explain how the Russian Standard brand was able to establish strong brand equity and how this brand equity helped the company to gain commendable success in Russia. Brand Salience The very first step in the pyramid is that of Salience, or identity. This is the step where the consumers ask the firm or product, who are you. This means that when a firm is introduced in the market, the firm establishes distinct identity. It establishes its association to a particular product class, i.e. consumers consider the firm/product according to this distinct identity. Brand salience can be defined as to how often and easily the brand is evoked under various situations and circumstances? (Keller, 2001) The beginning of the Russian Standard brand was with a mindset that its products were to be established in such a way which would be able to gain long lasting consumer association. The objective was to establish an exclusive product, which focused on Russian traditions. The brand identity established by Tariko was such that the Russian Standard brand was identified as the standard for Russians. The aim was to reach for the emotional aspect of consumers while they can relate themselves to the brand and claim pride in owning it. As the case study points out that the Russian Standard Vodka is identified as a traditional Russian souvenir, like matryoshka wooden dolls, Red Army captain watches, and lacquer boxes from Palekh (Grigorian, 2000). The intricate details taken into account in establishing the brand salience for the Russian Standard Vodka can be largely attributed to the brand equity that it enjoys today. Keeping the brand equity in order to build and protect the equity a brand positioned as a premium brand has to keep up with the expectancy by the consumers. For a premium brand the customer expectancy is not only from the quality of the product but it starts from the manufacturing to the pricing to packaging to delivering as well as to promotion (NetMBA). In all these levels a premium level of quality is expected. Russian standard has been careful in keeping quality at the utmost level while carrying out the four Ps. The product was produced with quality ingredients. The packaging was outlining quality in every aspect including meticulous details like design, labels, bottle caps and cases. The pricing was done to put the product in the premium to super premium category and the distribution was carefully laid out to acquire shelf spaces in fancy restaurants and night clubs and even in the highly perceived supermarkets. Brand Meaning Moving onto the next step of the Kellers pyramid, Performance and Imagery are what gives a brand its meaning in the minds of the consumers. The performance block includes all the principal characteristics of the brand, i.e. how well is the brand able to conform to the consumers psychological and functional requirements. This portion of the pyramid basically includes the basic features of the product, pricing, design, durability etc. Whereas, the brand imagery portion of the pyramid includes all the characteristics that are connected to the product, i.e. the products user profile, the values and history that the product reflect along with the distributional structure of the product(Keller, 2003). The Russian Standard brand was known for its quality, packaging and strong distribution channels. It was designed to be the first domestic brand to create a rich mosaic of imagery. It focused not only on quality but also on the price, packaging, merchandizing and communication. The Russian brand emphasized on depicting the Russian heritage to connect to the Russian customer and also achieve and ensure product quality that will attract the customers and make them loyal to the brand. The Russian major scientific institute which specialized on food research, in 1990s, along with Mendleev formulated a formula for vodka, this was patented to be exclusively Russian, it was considered a symbol of quality. The quality based on Mendeleevs recommendations of the vodka was of utmost importance to Tariko, which was then communicated to the people through extensive advertisement promotion, the designed bottle of vodka showed Mendeleves signature so that the customer will felt secure about the qua lity of the product. By establishing this strong connection of vodka with the Russian heritage, Traiko developed a certain sense of meaning and understanding among his customers that they were attracted emotionally and physiologically towards the Russian Brand vodka, and this sense of owning and connecting to the product not only attracted as many locals but also ensured their loyalty towards the product. Other than this, the Russian Brand also priced the product in a very appropriate way; the price was in support of its image as an exclusive brand. The vodka was priced more than other local brands, while still it was less expensive than the imported brands. This helped the Russian Standard Vodka to be recognized as an elite brand, in league with the imported brands; whilst at the same time it helped in gaining profits for the firm as well (Appendix 3) (Anselmsson, 2007). It mainly targeted the connoisseurs and strivers who preferred high quality products and prestigious brands. Moreover, the packaging of the Russian Standard Vodka was unique and fashionable. The exclusivity of the product and its other brand values was reflected by its packing. Attention was paid to every little detail of packaging of the vodka bottle; from bottle case to its cap and more importantly the shape of the bottle all were designed to emphasize on Tarikos objective of depiction of the Russian heritage and also ensure class and quality to the customers requirement and satisfaction. The packaging was designed by one of the top most design house, so that it would reflect the brands quality. The act of focusing on the packaging of a product was in itself something new for a business in Russia. Quality used to be the sole source of focus for a product, leaving the focus from pricing, packaging or the distribution channel, whereas, in modern marketing techniques, product, price, place, packaging and promotion make up the marketing mix for any product. Therefore, packaging was another on e of the major reasons for the Russian Standard vodka to acquire its brand meaning in the eyes of the consumers. Furthermore, the nostalgic touch to the packaging which reflected the value of the brand increased the brand meaning. The shape of the bottle resembled that of the traditional Russian orthodox churches, and there was a historical signature on the packaging as well.. This helped the consumers in establishing distinct brand imagery for the Russian Standard brand and relate to it. On the other hand, the strong distribution channel of the Russian Standard Brand also helped to setup its brand imagery. The Tarikos import business before the Russian Standard brand helped the new vodka to acquire advantaged shelf space as opposed to what it would have had in case Tariko had no prior reputation. Therefore, the beginning for the Russian Standard Vodkas placement in the market was privileged with supermarket promotions, access to prominent restaurants, clubs and bars. Brand Response The judgment and feelings of the consumers are the next building block. . This is basically the feelings and perceptions of the consumers about the brand (Keller, 2008). The brand judgment includes the brand quality, credibility, and differentiation. The quality includes the value or satisfaction the brand provides the consumers. The Russian Standard Vodka was trusted by the consumers for its quality. The advertised quality was supported by the actual quality of the product. The appropriate marketing mix helped the consumers to relate to the product. The idea of the campaign was to show a transformation from the previous Russian standards and the new ones. It was meant to create a modernized image in the minds of the consumers. However, this was not perceived as desired by many consumers. Most of the people thought of it as disrespectful to degrade Russian traditions no matter which era they belonged to and the message could not transfer to most people as well. So the campaign failed to communicate the intended premium image. It was designed for the international market but the response from the Russian market stopped it from being used abroad. It was not portraying the embracing the past and inspiring progress mantra the company was following. The feeling that was called upon by the advertisement within the consumers was such that they preferred using the Russian Standard Vodka as opposed to the imported brands. The brand acquired more appeal through its unique packaging and quality. The on-premise promotion on the other hand worked better for the company. It was promoted as a prestigious brand in restaurants and night clubs. The off-premise promotion was also carefully planned to portray its elegance by acquiring quality displays and shelves in the supermarkets. Brand Resonance The consumers in the modern times demand much more than just the functional benefits from a product. They demand intangible benefits such as image, status, personality, lifestyle, success and other factors that they can strongly relate to (Aziz and Yasin, 2010). The Russian Standard brand was one of the very first brands in Russia which used all these aspects into account when introducing its products in the market. Prior to this, quality and the product was the only consideration for the businesses. They believed in the supply making its own demand style of selling as opposed to the making a product in accordance to the demand of the people. However, the Russian Standard brand changed the traditional style of marketing and therefore was able to hugely benefit from rapid success in Russia. The Russian Standard brand used all the five Ps of the marketing mix to powerfully introduce itself in the market. From there onwards, it maintained its quality and built a solid name for itself by being consistent and innovative in promotion. The Russian Standard brand was able to establish a reputation which appealed to the consumers nationalistic sense. The idea was to create a strong consumer-brand relationship. Brand resonance can only be healthy if the consumers feel that they are in synchronization with the brands identity and values. Because of its patriotic look the brand was able to delve into the Russian market well. It was in complete harmony with the traditions of the Russian people. Therefore, from the analysis above, it can be said that the rapid success of the Russian Standard brand was not only because of the strong product quality they offered but also due to its right choice of marketing mix and most importantly its uphold with the Russian Identity. As the Roust Organization has already developed strong merchandizing and communication skills and relationships with the both kind of trades that is on-trade and off-trade, it was easy for the Russian Standards to be introduced to the consumers, but it was the Russian Standards strong conviction towards the brand equity that they become increasingly popular with the people and establish a certain kind of bond with them. It can be rightfully said that the success story of Russian Brand vodka emphasizes on all the aspects of the brand equity i.e. to establish brand salience and keep themselves intact with brand meaning to strengthen the bond with the customers keep counter check on the brand response and improve i ncase of any negativity and maintain the high standards, and last but not the least to provide brand resonance to the customers so they can feel pride in using the Russian Brand vodka. Thus it enjoyed rapid success and managed to maintain its position at the top, with these brand equity concepts followed it is today thought as to be one of the traditional Russian Souvenirs. Diversification Horizontal brand extension is one of the diversification strategies for the businesses. As can be seen in the Ansoffs matrix in appendix 2, when a firm increases its business into new products and markets, it is said to be diversifying its business. The benefits from diversification include, profitability, growth, reaping economies of scale if the diversification is within the same product range, avoiding dependence on a single product etc. Capitalizing on the equity of existing brands can produce many benefits for the company (Strach and Everret, 2006) even enhance the perception for the core brand (Aaker, 1991). There are two types of diversification strategies; concentric diversification or conglomerate diversification. Concentric diversification is the one where the product class remains the same. This strategy is to add related products or markets from that of the current line of business. On the other hand, conglomerate diversification is where the firm diversifies into areas that are unrelated to the current product range. Synergy Synergy is the ability of two or more instruments to work together to create something more than what they would have created separately. In a firms case, a synergy would be the extra benefit acquired by two different organizations working together, as opposed to what they would have acquired if they worked separately (Ellwood, 2002). In the Russian Standard brands case, the banking industry and the vodka industry are two unrelated industries. However, the Russian Standard brands aim to establish both these businesses under a single brand name could have been to benefit from synergies. This is possible if the bank and the vodka business together can give a stronger brand equity or profitability as opposed to their working as separate businesses under two different brand names (Aaker, 1991). Conglomerate Diversification: Benefits and Problems The possible motivations for conglomerate diversification include profitability, reducing firm specific risk, and limited growth in the current business along with other benefits of diversification in general. As observed by Martin and Sayrak (2001), the diversified organization may benefit from a larger tax liability than the initial business. Moreover, there may be other benefits from diversification such as risk from suppliers can be reduced, overhead costs can be distributed amongst a larger business (economies of scales), and the debt capacity may increase as well (Lewellen, 1971 as cited in Martin and Sayrak, 2001). Furthermore, the additional business can become a source of internal financing for the combined brand, which can considerably reduce the firms financing costs. This can be done by the management of the combined organization, by redistributing resources within the organization, where a larger amount of funds can be placed in the areas where there is potential of a hi gher gain than some other department (Stein, 1997 as cited in Martin and Sayrak, 2001). On the other hand, conglomerate diversification may create a number of problems for the existing firm. There are chances of administrative problems arising with an increase in the scale of operations (VanAuken, 2011). There can be managerial issues, i.e. an intensification of the principle-agent problem in an organization. Along with this, there can be an inadequate level of experience for the existing firm in the new industry. There may be requirements of the new industry that the current management is completely unaware of. New marketing mix, technical equipment, personnel and a lot more will be required for the new business which the current management may not be able to obtain. Support for and against Conglomerate Diversification In conglomerate diversification there are cases where the diversification has been extremely successful as well as cases where diversification was a source of loss in shareholders value in the initial business (Martin and Sayrak, 2001). Maksimovic and Philips (2002) in their research found out that conglomerate diversification reduces shareholder value, whereas in Martin and Sayraks (2001) work they have given a wide range of supporting as well as opposing arguments, without a significant conclusion as to whether conglomerate diversification is beneficial for the initial firm or it actually dilutes its initial shareholder value. However, it has to be noted that most of this literature is on merging or acquiring conglomerate businesses and not establishing a new business like the Russian Standard brand did. In case of the Russian Standard brand, (Grigorian, 2000) the bank was met with immediate success. Therefore, the success of the bank could be attributed to the existing brand name of the Russian Standard Vodka, but even if it was not because of that then there was definitely no dilution of the brand because of the conglomerate diversification. However, it may be difficult to measure in the Russian Standard brands case whether the success of the bank was because of the credibility of the brand or the right marketing mix for the bank itself. It can be the case that the bank may still have had the same success without the Russian Standard brands name associated to it, because the strategies to establish the bank were appropriate and the marketing mix was correct for the respective environment. This may be very much possible considering the fact that most of the people did not associate the Vodka and the Bank even with the same brand name; few customers made a clear link between the two businesses (Grigorian, 2000). Another aspect in this situation could also be the fact that the owner of the company, Roustam Tariko, had established much credibility for himself as well by being successful very early. His sense of strategic business thinking made him successful in creating a brand image of Russian Standard. The aim to meet international quality standards and improve the image of his country reflected well in his branding strategies. The Russian standard vodka and bank, though both were quite different in terms of relativity but as both were being run by Roust their relativity was somehow subsided by the credibility of the parent company (Ellwood, 2002). Both the brands were leveraging on the Russian Standards image. So the brand could very well diversify instead of considering to be diluted. Therefore, it can be said that even when the banking and vodka businesses are not compatible and few modern businesses actually go for conglomerate diversification, the Russian Standard brand was able to handle the two businesses well. As reputation (Ali, 2008) is one of the main factors that can affect the results of brand extension, the Russian Standard brand had a strong brand equity because of its vodka business which could very well afford to withstand any brand extension. Market Extension Another diversification strategy is to extend ones existing business into new markets. As can be seen in the Ansoff matrix (appendix 2), the market extension (Jewell, 2000) is when the existing product is introduced in some new market. This is another extension strategy that the Russian Standard brand was taking into consideration, i.e. extending its vodka into the US market. The benefits of market extension include profitability, an opportunity to reap economies of scale as the basic product will remain the same and growth of business and operations (VanAuken, 2011). Whereas, the market extension process may cause difficulties for the existing firm, because the new market may be completely different from what the firm has been working in initially. An in depth analysis of the potential market, information of the competitors and consumers, legal regulations, economic and social environment, all are required before the extension may be made. An entirely new marketing mix is required f or the same product for it to be introduced in a new market. If the product is launched in the new market with the same marketing mix, then the probability of its success may be reduced considerably. This is because, consumers in each market have distinct requirements and the social, economic and legal situation is also different from the existing market. Moreover, the potential market may already be saturated with competition, as is the case with the US market for Vodka (Sahani, 2008). The US market already has a number of well positioned, distinct local and foreign brands. Each of the brands available in the market is distinct in its own way, i.e. each has a specific segment of the market that it is very well catering to. Therefore, it can be said that introducing the Russian Standard Vodka in the US market is a difficult task, however with the quality product that it has, it may as well be successful to grasp a section of the market. In order to do this, a new marketing mix will be required for the Russian Standard Vodka to be successful in the US. The Russian Standard Vodka in the US market The Russian Standard Vodka was hugely successful in Russia not just because of its quality, but also its appeal to the nationalist sense in Russia along with its privileged distributional channels. These are the attributes of the Russian Standard Vodka that may not be present when the vodka is introduced in the US market. The US market which is todays largest consumer of vodka, is already very saturated in terms of premium vodka brands. The consumers will not be attracted to the brand merely because of its Russian origin, nor will the brand be able to acquire advantaged distribution channels (Sahani, 2008). Also considering the fact that the relationship between the two countries have always been on a verge of disagreements (Graham, 2008), this can act as creating a certain biasness for the origin of the brand. Based on the market analysis the super premium to premium segment already includes a lot of imported brands. For Russian Standard to create its space the super premium segment will have a benefit in terms of no competition from local brands, since the super premium segment only includes the imported variety. So if Russian Standard vodka changes its market strategy they can be noticeable in the US market. Change in the strategy will have to be emphasized in new and creative ideas of marketing and advertising, for this purpose it is very essential for the Russian Standard management to carefully study the US market, understand what the customers need and want, and what does the other vodka brands offer them, whether is there any loopholes or any gap between the customer requirement and brands offers and if Russian Standard vodka can overcome that gap. The American market is completely different from the Russian market, therefore Russian standard faces a great challenge in first capturing the attention of the American and consumers and then providing them with a better vodka than its competitors. The Russian Standard vodka can be launched in US market, but for a successful launching a lot of literature review and planning is required. From the discussion above it can be said easily that the Russian Standard will have to adapt to the US market to make their space. Many aspects of the Russian Standard vodka advertising and management campaign will plays vital role, among which pricing is the most crucial of all. The price should be appropriate enough to capture the attention of the Americans and maintain class as well. The quality of the Russian Brand vodka will ensure brand loyalty from the customers, but the real challenge is faced in actually making space in already so brand crowded market of the vodka in the US. The Russian Standard Vodka marketing mix for the US market will have to have a significant media campaign as well. This is because, all other competing brands in US have noteworthy amounts of money spent on advertisement, and are using user profiling (associating celebrities to add value to the brand) to their advantage. This is one place, where the Russian Standard Vodka will have to focus to establish a brand image that will appeal to the respective consumers. With the current scenario going pretty well for Russian Standard at home a global impact will add to the equity of the brand. As far as the image and global inconsistency is concerned in order to venture into a foreign market the characteristics must be understood. Since the US is a big market and the people are very accustomed to freedom and rationality Russian Standard will have to adapt to the culture in order to create the brand image (Deresky, 2006). This might impact global consistency of the brand but in order for it t o be associated exclusively to Russia the Russian Standard brand has to be put up as a brand for the elite. One the brand recognition will be spontaneous and second it will enjoy cost effective global positioning (Sahani, 2008). As the current situation of the brand is leading in the Russian Market the intervention in the US market will not be a wrong decision. Another aspect in consideration with the adaptation to the US market involves the brand name Russian standard itself (Deresky, 2006). This can have a positive as well as a negative impact while branding in US. The word Russian associates the Russian traditions with the brand. This can impact in the unique positioning in imported vodkas market. The name will give the product a Russian trait and the market does consist of people inspired more by brands with foreign attribute associated to them. However, the market also consists of people who can be biased in terms of foreign associations. Since Russia has been on major disagreement terms with US in history, some sort of biasness or stereotyping might result in the undermining of the brand (Graham, 2008). Launching Russian Standard Brand vodka in the United State would be challenging but not entirely an impossible job. With change in strategies and with new concepts of brand equity that will be according to the US markets, the Russian Standard Brand may be able to make their space in the strong world of vodka in the United States. Conclusion Therefore keeping these aspects in mind the venture into the US market can be risky at some points since it is the largest vodka market in the world. On the other hand it can also provide Russian Standard the global position it is looking for. It will add to the equity at home and in other markets it plans to venture into. The loyalty will increase and so will the company reap economies of scale by pricing it in the super premium market.