Understanding Jim Crow Laws

Understanding Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow laws maintained racial segregation in the South beginning in the late 1800s. After slavery ended, many whites feared the  freedom  blacks had. They loathed the idea that it would be possible for African Americans to achieve the same social status as whites if given the same access to employment, healthcare,  housing ,  and education. Already uncomfortable with the gains some blacks made during  Reconstruction, whites took issue with such a prospect. As a result, states began to pass laws that placed a number of restrictions on blacks. Collectively, these laws limited black advancement and ultimately gave blacks the status of second-class citizens. The Origins of Jim Crow Florida became the first state to pass such laws, according to Americas History, Volume 2: Since 1865.  In 1887, the Sunshine State issued a series of regulations that required racial segregation in public transportation and other public facilities. By 1890, the South became fully segregated, meaning that blacks had to drink from different water fountains from whites, use different bathrooms from whites and sit apart from whites in movie theaters, restaurants, and buses. They also attended separate schools and lived in separate neighborhoods. Racial apartheid in the United States soon earned the nickname, Jim Crow. The moniker comes from a 19th-century minstrel song called â€Å"Jump Jim Crow,† popularized by a minstrel performer named Thomas â€Å"Daddy† Rice, who appeared in blackface. The Black Codes, a set of laws Southern states began passing in 1865, after slaverys end, were a precursor to Jim Crow. The codes imposed curfews on blacks, required unemployed blacks to be jailed and mandated that they get white sponsors to live in town or passes from their employers, if they worked in agriculture. The Black Codes even made it difficult for African Americans to hold meetings of any kind, including church services. Blacks who violated these laws could be fined, jailed, if they could not pay the fines, or required to perform forced labor, just as they had while enslaved. Essentially, the codes recreated slavery-like conditions. Legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments sought to grant more liberties to African Americans. These laws, however, focused on citizenship and suffrage and did not prevent the enactment of Jim Crow laws years later. Segregation did not only function to keep society racially stratified but also resulted in homegrown terrorism against blacks. African Americans who did not obey Jim Crow laws could be beaten, jailed, maimed or lynched. But a black person neednt flout Jim Crow laws to become a target of violent white racism. Black people who carried themselves with dignity, thrived economically, pursued education, dared to exercise their right to vote or rejected the sexual advances of whites could all be targets of white racism. In fact, a black person neednt do anything at all to be victimized in this manner. If a white person simply didnt like the look of a black person, that African American could lose everything, including his life. Legal Challenges to Jim Crow The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) constituted the first major legal challenge to Jim Crow. The plaintiff in the case, Homer Plessy, a Louisiana Creole, was a shoemaker and activist who sat in a whites-only train car, for which he was arrested (as he and fellow activists planned). He fought his removal from the car all the way to the high court, which ultimately decided that separate but equal accommodations for blacks and whites werent discriminatory. Plessy, who died in 1925, would not live to see this ruling overturned by the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which found that segregation was indeed discriminatory. Although this case focused on segregated schools, it led to the reversal of laws that enforced segregation in city parks, public beaches, public housing,  interstate and intrastate travel and elsewhere. Rosa Parks famously challenged racial segregation on city buses in Montgomery, Ala., when she refused to relinquish her seat to a white man on Dec. 1, 1955. Her arrest sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott. While Parks challenged segregation on city buses, the activists known as the Freedom Riders challenged Jim Crow in interstate travel in 1961. Jim Crow Today Although racial segregation is illegal today, the United States continues to be a racially stratified society. Black and brown children are much more likely to attend schools with other black and brown children than they are with whites. Schools today are, in fact, more segregated than they were in the 1970s. Residential areas in the U.S. mostly remain segregated as well, and the high numbers of black men in prison mean that a large swathe of the African American population does not have its freedom and is disenfranchised, to boot. Scholar Michelle Alexander coined the term the New Jim Crow to describe this phenomenon.   Similarly, laws that target undocumented immigrants have led to the introduction of the term Juan Crow. Anti-immigrant bills passed in states such as California, Arizona,  and Alabama in recent decades have resulted in unauthorized immigrants living in the shadows, subject to shoddy working conditions, predatory landlords, a lack of healthcare, sexual assault, domestic violence and more. Although some of these laws have been struck down or largely gutted, their passage in various states have created a hostile climate that makes undocumented immigrants feel dehumanized. Jim Crow is a ghost of what it once was but racial divisions continue to characterize American life.

Cicely Tyson Quotes on Life, Acting and More

Cicely Tyson Quotes on Life, Acting and More Cicely Tyson, a stage and film actress, is known for roles in such projects as  Roots,  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,  Sounder  (which won her an Oscar nomination),  Fried Green Tomatoes,  The Help,  King  (in which she played Coretta Scott King),  A Woman Called Moses  (where she played Harriet Tubman),  The Marva Collins Story,  The Women of Brewster Place  and more. Selected Quotes from Cicely Tyson Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. Theyre what make the instrument stretch - what make you go beyond the norm.It is so very difficult for me to say which of the roles Ive done is my favorite. Its like asking me which of three best friends is my favorite. I feel very close to each of these women because each afforded me an experience that allowed me tremendous growth.In my early years, there were a number of experiences that made me decide I could not afford the luxury of just being an actress. There were a number of issues I wanted to address. And I wanted to use my career as a platform.I am not a quitter. I will fight until I drop. It is just a matter of having some faith in the fact that as long as you are able to draw breath in the universe, you have a chance.When I attack a role, be it TV, film or stage,  the first thing I say is, I dont want to know anything.  If its good I dont want to hear it;  if its bad I dont want to hear it .  The only thing either thing can do is distract me.  I like to stay focused. I think when you begin to think of yourself as having achieved something, then theres nothing left for you to work towards. I want to believe that there is a mountain so high that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it.You never know what motivates you.In my work, people say Im strong. But Im not aware of any of it. If I were conscious of it, that can only get in the way of future performances.I think when you begin to think of yourself as  having achieved something,  then theres nothing left for you to work towards.  I want to believe that there is a mountain so high  that I will spend my entire life striving to reach the top of it.One lady told me that before she saw Sounder she didnt believe black people could love each other, have deep relationships in the same way as white people.I was in California when this journalist made a blanket  statement about the fact that she did not think that  black men and women had the kind of love relationship  t hat Rebecca and Nathan had in Sounder. Ive never encouraged  anyone  to go into this business. But I would never  discourage   anybody  either, because no one could discourage me.I dont condemn anyone for making their choices. If someone chooses those roles, fine.But not for me.  When someone stops me and says, Youre the reason I became an actress,  that lets me know I made the right decision.When I told my mother that I wanted to be an actress, she said, you cant live here and do that, and so I moved out. I was determined to prove her wrong because she was so sure that I was going to go astray. And thats the juice that kept me going.We have to support our own films.  If we dont, how can we expect others to support them? More Quotes by Notable Women: All  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z Explore Womens Voices and Womens History Womens Voices  - About Womens QuotesBiographiesToday in Womens History About These Quotes Quote collection  assembled by  Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote. Citation information (example):Jone Johnson Lewis. Dorothy Height Quotes. About Womens History. URL: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/dorothy_height.htm . Date accessed: (today).  (More on how to cite online sources including this page)

Fighting for Four Freedoms and the Cold War and the United States Essay

Fighting for Four Freedoms and the Cold War and the United States - Essay Example Peace is far better tool rather than war. The cold war was a hostile rivalry between the US and Soviet Union which started from 1940’s and continued till the Soviet Union broke in 1991.The main reasons of the Cold war was the difference of ideologies. Soviet union which was basically a communist country was ruled by a dictator .this idea was not appreciated by the Americans. Both the nations believed that the other would harm the other nation beliefs. Stalin wanted other countries to come forward to help protect the Soviet Union from being invaded again on the other hand, US and Britain were worried that most of the areas of Eastern Europe were falling under Soviet Union. So lack of trust weakened these nations and they fell apart. Who was responsible for this Cold war? Some blame America some USSR. America tried to show their power and attacked Japan with an atom bomb which was very harmful for the upcoming of generations. During the reign of Eisenhower, most of the populatio n wanted to live a luxurious life. Â   It was a period of prosperity and most of the people started purchasing material things which did not happen ever before. Consequently, Eisenhower put forward the idea that the government should come forward and help in building roads and highways that were to connect to the suburbs.

Response of the artical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response of the artical - Essay Example Instead of protecting the natural resources, the government inappropriately uses such resources. According to Sampath (42), placing a price on nature will safeguard the interests of future generations. Consequently, safeguarding biodiversity is the basis of sustainability. The author is supporting his argument by using the case of England in which the exploitation of natural resources is costing the economy of England. In the second article, the author is campaigning against economic valuation of natural resources within the ecosystem. He is opposed to privatization because he believes that privatization will co modify nature as noted by Juniper (2). Consequently, he is claiming that corporations will take advantage of privatization and this will lead to the destruction of unprotected forests and natural resources. Lack of bioprospecting rules will cost countries like Hawaii since the people will not benefit from the use of its resources in the absence of control measures. I accept the major claims of these articles because most of the claims are factual. For instance, research indicates that the enactment of laws has positive impacts on the conservation of the environment. Consequently, some of the resources in nature cannot be valued as claimed by the author of the article the great imposters. In England, the natural capital committee discovered that some of the resources had infinite values. Moreover, the committee advocated for responsible use of the ecosystem by private companies. This is an indication that people should be responsible in seeking services from the ecosystem. Indeed, the business community has neglected the natural world (Monbiot 1). Carelessness is leading to the environmental crisis. Henceforth, it is our collective responsibility to conserve the environment because we depend on the environment for our

Effects That Poor Airline Customer Service Has Had On Passengers Essay Example for Free

Effects That Poor Airline Customer Service Has Had On Passengers Essay Abstract The present research explores the issue of poor customer service that airline industry is said to practice with regard to their product and services. The paper examines this issue from the approach of triangulation of the data. It critically analyzes the situation from three perspectives. For the first one is the issue of customer satisfaction in accordance with recent empirical findings. The paper highlights what customer satisfaction empirically means. The next section explores the present operations and services provided by the airline industry from a number of sources. The last section examines and cross-examines the state of customer satisfaction to be found in the present day airline industry operations. At the end of the paper, findings of the research are discussed along with suggestions and recommendation for policy making and airline industry’s operation with relation to customer satisfaction. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the advent of new technology, extensive human intrusion in the mysterious space, and expedited communication in the twenty-first century, the demands, wants, and needs of the customers are said to be so finely met today as never before. With the state-of-the-art approach to any customer-related segments of today’s business world, it is claimed by the business sector in general that today’s customer is the luckiest one to have had so much ease of choice and liberty of opting from one product to another. This maxim goes from the small gadgets to the massive transaction held across countries. However, analyzing the perspective of the customer may not yield the same level of happiness and satisfaction from the side of the customer in today’s world. Airline business has seen a marvelous boom with the high-tech trend and massive investment throughout the world. As such, it becomes the point of this paper whether today’s airlines are really providing their customers the best of what is available to them. The present paper looks into the issue of the effects that poor airline customer service has had on today’s customer. The present study looks at the issue from a multifaceted approach. It aims to critically analyze the issue from a three dimensional view, that is to say, it extensively reviews current literature on customer-airline area; it goes on to investigate the point of view of the airline business itself and point out the major findings; as well as, the present paper critically analyzes the kinds of effects that the poor airline customer service has to have on the prospective customer. Customer Satisfaction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Customer satisfaction that a customer derives from a product bears enormous significance for the success or failure of a particular product. A product however technically sound and however economic in terms of use and feasibility cannot be regarded as successful unless and until the customer defines it as satisfactory to their needs and wants. As such, success of a product, we can say, is related to the level of satisfaction that a customer derives from it. Today’s situation, particularly in US business market, is alarming. According to Maier (p. 20, 2002), â€Å"Keeping the customer satisfied no longer is the mantra of American businesses, as studies show a steady decline in customer satisfaction that is projected to continue†. As such, in this section of the paper, the present writer deems it appropriate to critically examine the notion of customer satisfaction; how important is it in today’s business world; and what significance does it hold for the airline customer service? This is important with relation to the understanding of the poor customer service that is reported in today’s airline context. This section is intended to serve as scaffolding or mirror to the later research and findings of our issue of the poor airline customer service. It is important for every firm to offer a bunch of values along with the material product that is the focal point of business to that firm. Only offering the product cannot prove to be successful for a firm’s business. Henceforth, the business firm which has at its disposal superior package of services in the competitive market can certainly win the customer with greater profitability and mounting volume of market reputation. Research has revealed that even most satisfied customer can entertain to defect. According to research while examining the link between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, it is known that customers, of any product whatsoever, come to feel satisfied with products at different levels and with different degrees of satisfaction. As such, the differential levels of satisfaction of the side of the customer have to give birth to a diverse range of conformity to the product of customer loyalty, â€Å"which in turn result in varying levels of behavioral disposition to patronage with a provider†. What this finding of the logical link suggests is that with regard to a product and customer satisfaction, the range of satisfaction is varied. However, another important point here is that although a customer may be satisfied with a product, they can opt for any other competitor’s product. This suggests that customer satisfaction may not necessarily bear customer loyalty. The point is that a customer opting for another competitor’s product may be allured by the services that the competitor is offering. â€Å"Therefore, firms have to strive to achieve higher levels of satisfaction than their competition by providing superior customer value†. This approach is basic to attaining what is regarded as â€Å"sustainable competitive advantage† (John, p. 07, 2003). Now the point of concern at this stage is that what kinds of business strategies are needed so that a firm can offer a bundle of service to address higher customer satisfaction that other firms in the competition cannot. The primary component here is to have a crystal clear understanding of the competitive market. John (p. 7, 2003) cites Pine and Gilmore who may regard such context of competition as â€Å"experience economy†. It is the very stage or state or level of competition â€Å"where products are quickly commoditized and firms compete on other aspects of the total offering†. According to this very researcher, there are three prime factors that contribute toward the success of higher or superior customer satisfaction oozing out of a product either material or service-related. The first is the employees of the firm that engineer the entire operation of the firm starting from the very scratch and ending it while in the front line interacting with the customer. The other is the processes that are observed by the firm both in the micro and macro level. The last one is the use of technology that the firm undertakes in order to address and meet higher customer satisfaction. All of the above must work in higher order harmony if superior customer satisfaction is needed. And, of the three, the least effective is the adoption of technology alone and depending on the use of technology alone. The author gives its reason. This is that technology can be easily replicated. A firm with required capital can do that. As far as the replication of processes and system goes, it should be noted that these two factors may also be at the disposal of any other competitors because â€Å"processes and systems can be designed appropriately to deliver customer satisfaction, but they can be relatively easily replicated†. However, what is significant in this connection is the attitude that the employees offer. A firm’s employees’ attitude is something that â€Å"less easily replicable† as such there is the entire focus of a competing firm should fall in order to meet superior level of customer satisfaction (John, p. 07, 2003). If we look at the present scenario of the services provided by the present day airline industry, one thing is to be noticed that the airline industry is giving more and more importance to technological advances which are apparent from bottom to top operations of the industry. Whether the airline industry does also offer higher customer satisfaction in connection with their employees’ attitude remains a point of concern which will be explored later in this paper. Before we move on, it is necessary to examine as to what it is that the customers in today’s context want from a product or firm so that they can derive superior level of satisfaction. In keeping with the view of John, (p. 08, 2003), it comes to our notice that there are three basic features which customers look for in order to feel highly satisfied by use of a product which can either be a service or a material product. Convenience is something that can be put on the top of the list. Customers want to be conveniently handled when it comes to opting for a product; they want ease of dealing, interaction, and productivity. Next is the matter of cost. Customers want to buy something as less costly as possible. And the last but not least is the quality of the whole product experience that remains with the customer for a considerably longer period of the former two. At this point in the present research, it has been highlighted as to what is customer satisfaction from the viewpoint of an industry as well as from the perspective of the customer themselves. Now it seems feasible to look at the present state of the airline industry so that a sound critical examination can later be made with relation to our point of examination, that is to say, it will later be explored what effects have been held by poor airline customer services on the customers; what are the causes and reasons for this poor customer service; as well as, how can these factors, causes, and reasons can be appropriately eliminated so that higher customer satisfaction can be obtained. Airline Industry in Today’s Context According to the observation of Dempsey and Goetz (1992), there are few industries that inspire the passion and rigor that the airline industry does. It is due to the cross-border voyages that airlines make letting their passengers feel the romance and allurement of the air-travel which is hardly as forcefully evident in other means of transportation as in the air travel. Henceforth, the airline industry can be viewed as â€Å"the most glamorous of industries† (p. 03). Another reason is the defiance to the law of gravity which â€Å"still gives many travelers sweaty palms on takeoff and landing†. And the highly critical issue with respect to the importance of airline industry is that â€Å"few industries are as â€Å"fundamentally important to the nations commerce, communications, and national defense as is aviation† (p. 03). Moreover, the present air travel has become an element of glamour that many people year to attach to. There are exclusive club memberships of entrepreneur power in the industry; celebrity chase of specific kinds of air travel with a bundle of exclusive services and things like that. In addition to the above, â€Å"ticket prices, route patterns, the margin of safety, and the identity of the carriers painted on the fuselages of aircraft on an unprecedented roller-coaster ride† is now a dream voiced in most of advertisement by the airline industry players. However, this very glamorous and alluring picture must be critically viewed with a magnifying-glass like examination so that hidden secrets and fallacies can be brought forward. One such is the poor customer service by the airline industry (Dempsey Goetz, p. 03-04, 1992). In today’s context of airline services, newer concepts and terms of air travel are emerging by the day which enhances the feeling of a customer to be going for an air travel. Today, global carriers, globalization, and mega carriers are catch words that may allure anyone intending to fly for any purpose. However, these terms remain without precise or definite definitions as do the agenda of customer service that the airline industry has to provide. It is note-worthy that the expanded canvas of airline industry is not something recent; in fact, it all can be chased as farther back as the 1930s. By then, Pan American airline was flaying transatlantic and transpacific; it also had a massive network in Latin America. The same time such carriers as the British and Dutch were expanding their services to (as they were known by then) their colonies at a distant location in Asia and East Indies. Moreover, â€Å"Pan American by the 1950s had a round-the-world service† (OConnor, pp. 57-59, 1995). In the present context of the twenty-fist century, however, things have taken a different stance in the business world; now market forces and competition is giving way to more and more mergers, amalgamation and business associations which may be seen as an approach toward more globalized airline industry. More foreign investment is coming to such countries as the US. Today, this all looks like so powerful an airline industry as never before. Air travel becomes more and more feasible so the services provided by the airline industry need to be critically examined with due attention so that real picture of this global trend can be taken (OConnor, pp. 57-59, 1995). Changing Trends in the Twenty-First Century Today, more than ever before, the climate for airline industry is every changing and opting to more and more uncertainty in terms of international scenario with relation to a number of waves flowing over the international scenario. The twenty-first century has experienced huge calamities like the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers which caused the airline industry to meet a sudden decline. As such uncertainty of business is more apparent today. The entire climate is wrapped in an element of fear which has given rise to issues such as what kinds of customer services do the airlines provide today to both their international and local customers? According to Doganis (2001), in this climate of continuous change and uncertain aura, the coming years for the airline industry will bring more complicated issues and critical problems and serious challenges with them. One more point here is that not only the structures of the airlines will undergo a change, â€Å"but markets too will become more unstable† (p. 211). What is essentially needed of the airlines in such a situation is that they must clearly define their corporate mission with regard to every single aspect of their operations from employees’ attitude to customer service. â€Å"The key issue which needs to be resolved is whether the airline is to be a global network carrier or a niche player† (p. 212). Moreover, the essence of this entire climate of change will put immense pressure on such areas as ticket prices, services provided by the customers, and it will be enhanced by the new entrants who will be carrying more sophisticated business strategies and tactics to destabilize the present market condition. In this very context, the issue of customer satisfaction seems to linger even more loose than every before. There is danger in the coming times that airline products will be commoditized in which the key player will be fare prices only (Doganis, p. 212, 2001). Thus now it is highly important to critically analyze what is happening in the domain of customer services and the experiences that today’s customers are having with regard to the poor customer service. Airline Industry and Customer Service   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this section of the paper, the writer highlights the pertinent issues which are regarded as the real cause for poor customer service by the airline sector. This is very significant if a through analysis of the effects is intended to be drawn. By bringing forward the issues of to the forefront attention, it will be easy to reach an empirical analysis. a) An overview Airline industry with regard to the services that are being provided by this very sector, is facing severe criticism from a number of critics from a number of areas of professional and general walks of life. For example, Reed, (usatoday.com, 2008) notes that the â€Å"shoddy service† of the airline is even coming to USA’s big airlines. In addition to this, Ramon A. Avila, professor of marketing and director of Ball State Universitys Professional Selling Institute, Muncie, Ind. makes a very clear warning about the poor quality of customer service by airlines: â€Å"When it comes to poor customer service, expect more bad experiences in the airline industry† (Avila, p. 01, 1999). There are heaps and heaps of complaints being logged by the day. If we look at the present situation, it seems that airline sector is degenerating instead of rising for a number of pluses on its credit in the twenty-first century. The things that have become commonplace in today’s airline climate are confusing fares with no predefined schemes or policies; the flights are getting more and more mismanaged; delays of flights are nothing but a routine now hinged on the practices of cancellation without regard of the passengers psychological and other troubles being suffered. Avil also notes that Expect rude treatment and expect companies to do the bare minimum because their bottom line is more important than a disappointed customer† (p. 01). The critic also maintains that it seems as if the airline industry is moving toward a fatal end due to so meager performance and stature in the overall picture. To him American airline industry is going to die. The most important point, according to Avil is that â€Å"Good customer service is the keystone to retaining and attracting consumers, and many businesses are missing the point† (p. 01). Although it is important to keep an impartial view of the entire situation, it seems equally important, as of now, whether or not the observations of Avil are up to the mark. For this very reason, a number of different sources will be analyzed to see if poor customer service has really become the norm of today’s airline industry or not. b) Airline industry in context of 9/11 terrorist attacks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As according to Russell (2007), â€Å"Airline customer service is notoriously bad†, a very important issue with regard to poor customer services by the airlines to the customers is linked to the more recent wave of global terrorism in which the Twin Towers of World Trade Center were hit nothing but by airplanes. A number of officials blame the poverty of service and operations of the airline industry to this horrible event. However, critically examining the situation reveals something else of the position, particularly of the US airline industry. According to Whalen (p. 33, 2004), although it seems very tempting to attach the poor airline services to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it is not the case altogether. The author reveals a different picture in this regard. The author states that the prime factors for such poor service by the US airline industry are the â€Å"decades-old legal and labor laws, and the U.S. bankruptcy code [which are] at the core of what is wrong with the airline industry† (p. 33). There is, as such, no other industry in the US which is so much kept on watch. And this really creates a problem. Washington, according to author, is busy in keeping the record of each and every activity taking place everywhere in the airline operations from bottom to top. This includes the airlines, their operational nature, watching of the airports, and so on. The author reminds of the 1991-92 crisis when â€Å"five major carriers [went] through bankruptcy† but the government â€Å"did little to change the basic economics† (p. 33). These rules and regulations are influencing the services and the poor quality of the services is directly related to them. Therefore, in the entire US airline industry seems to have been locked in a known financial cycle of growth and stagnation, which if hereby followed by economic default and bankruptcies. According to the author, this entire situation is directly influencing the customers of the airlines who have to suffer a poor level of services. Moreover, â€Å"Overcapacity exerts downward pressure on ticket prices, generating fares that dont allow the airlines to cover the cost of providing service, making the average private airline look more like a public utility think of Amtrak with wings† (Whalen, p. 33, 2004). From this very viewpoint, it is very easily noticeable that there is little to go to the credit to such events as the wave of global terrorism but to the policy making and regulation of the US airline industry. According to the context discussed above, one this must be noted that the customers have yet to suffer. It seems that no attention is being paid to this very area which is both disappointing as critical both for the US authorities and the airline runners. Poor Customer Service Examined   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we wish to take examples or incidents in which poor airline customer service is intended to be reported, there is no doubt in stating that there are load and loads of such instances that would require tones of paper to be put down and which may not end as the situation continues by the very day. However, to the point of this paper, take the example of the great airline disastrous time of January 2, 1999. It was when a massive snowstorm had his Detroit the afternoon of the day. This virtually gave birth to historical crack downs in the area of customer service. It stranded many airplanes of Northwest Airline on snow-coated taxiways and tarmacs. It was not possible, then, to deplane many of the passengers mounting to more than 7000 who were then returning from New Year’s vacations. Their waiting spanned as long as eleven hours. The available food was insufficient in case of a number of planes; and what is more, many of the planes’ toilets became overflowed. Although the airport had closed, Northwest persisted to hope that the planes would take off; it was all forced in spite of the pleas that the on-site managers of the very company had recorded. This all resulted in what can be regarded as the nightmare of air travel in which the travelers had to let go of even their basic rights (Rosenthal, p. 1857, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specifically looking at the canvas of the poor customer service by the airline in this regard purports us to look more closely at the issue. Major areas of customer dissatisfaction in this respect are quoted as of the following. These all examples that follow are caused for the Deregulation act that is the root cause of these and other possible poor customer service in which the customer does not entertain any right even to voice their genuine concerns. Delays and Cancellations of Flights   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the matter of everyday when the customers have to face delays and cancellations of flights for nothing but a number of various reasons. It is possible that in some cases the contract between the airline and the passenger may even be breached. It was the day of August 4th, and the year was 2000, when United Airline’s night-scheduled flight – destined from Washington D.C., to Paris – just stayed in the airport for countless hours only before the airline merely cancelled the en route schedule for â€Å"mechanical reasons†. However, the later published report revealed something that surprised the common and innocent citizens. The reports said that the flight cancellation had nothing to do with any mechanical reason whatsoever. It was actually that the United pilots had just turned down the idea of taking the plane off because Stephen Wolf, former United Chairman was on the flight as a passenger. This single instance is so horrible with regard to a number of passengers who had to suffer only because some people in the cockpit were playing the ego game. What is to be said to Stephen Wolf, who, whatever his past status to the United Airline was, was merely a traveler who really did buy a ticket on the flight. And the passengers were not able to hold any say due to the Deregulation Act. Inattentive Provision of Alcohol   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inattentive provision of alcohol is also permitted as a service onboard to passengers. This service may be harmful in a number of reasons because of disciplinary actions caused by drunken passengers to the common citizens. In one instance, a flight attendant continued to serve alcohol to a group of inebriated passengers onboard of first-class passengers; afterwards, the drunken person insulted a fellow traveler; it was later to cause great controversy and mayhem because the passenger sued the flight attendant and the airline. However, what about a number of other innocent citizens that were also onboard the plane and could do nothing but suffer the entire scene of drunkenness and insult? The court, as such, plainly ruled the suing passenger for the same reason as the Deregulation Act (Rosenthal, p. 1857, 2002) Lost Baggage and Other Issues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A couple on the honeymoon trip was on their schedule flight to Anguilla from New York City. The couple lost one of their two suitcases en route. They made repeated phone calls to the airline’s concerned office nothing but to track down their lost bag. All that the representative of the airline did was to repeatedly tell the couple that the airline knew the exact location of the lost bad and that it is just coming along their way. So they asked the couple not to worry. However, this very effective communication by the airline came to a fiasco as the bag was never found. The enraged couple rightly went forward and sued the airline. None the less, a surprise waited to compensate their psychological sufferings, the accused fraud they the airline did with them, and the negligent behavior of the airline. The surprise was that the couple had no remedy and this was just because of the Deregulation Act (Rosenthal, p. 1857, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides these instances and incidents, there are a number of other incidents that can be quoted here. Feltner, in her article â€Å"Airline customer service ratings down, and it show† discusses at length the massive misadventure that the author had to undergo while on board of a flight. So many things happened to the author which are discussed at length. According to the author, â€Å"the Airline Quality Ratings survey showed poorer performances for 16 of 18 U.S. carriers over the year before† and â€Å"J.D. Power and Associates released the results of the 2007 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, which included similar findings† (Feltner, 2008, smartertravel.com). The author goes on to discuss the poor ratings report and lower customer satisfaction rankings. She cites that â€Å"The new report shows customer satisfaction rankings for seven out of nine major airlines, as well as low-cost carriers†¦dropped this year† (Feltner, 2008, smartertravel.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All this mayhem on the part of the airline industry has caused great panic and psychological distress on the part of the customers. Either it is the Deregulation Act of the legitimate law, or competition, or inappropriate rules or labor law, the entire burden is left dangling on the week shoulders of the customer who is already burden with so many other societal, social, and ethical problems. There seems to be no way out with regard to the problems that customers have to undergo on the hands of the airline poor performance and poor customer service. In the next section of the paper, the present writer discusses the requisite measures that need to be taken if poor customer service has to be eliminated or at least has to be reduced to a tolerable level. One such important point is the notion of customer relation management. This specific area and studies in this area are examined in the following section so as to reach a possible ground that leads to a healthier climate in which the ill-struck airline customer can experience better services by the airlines and breathe in fresh air. Poor Customer Service and Customer Relation Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the present day, what is required to meet higher customer satisfaction in the lucrative business of airline is known as Customer Relation Management or CRM. It was actually in the 1980s that airlines started to introduce frequent-flyer segments of their program in order to enhance the loyalty level of their prospective customers. This trend gave birth to a new approach in marketing known as CRM. In today’s context, CRM programs are used in a number of businesses with focus on customer satisfaction. However, when it comes to the airline industry, it is not very surprising to note that the situation is not very satisfactory here. According to Binggeli et al. a survey was conducted for 17 major airlines around the globe. This very survey disclosed that even the most technologically equipped and sophisticated of the airlines â€Å"have only a rudimentary understanding of who their most valuable customers are or could be, which factors affect the behavior of these customers, and which CRM levers are most effective in ensuring loyalty† (p. 06, 2002). What in subsistence was being practiced was that airlines lagged behind best practices in CRM due to the fact that they were merely self-satisfied; they, as such, gave little importance to systems which were not functional and which were non-critical; or they did not worry about grasping financial implications of getting matters in the right place. â€Å"The result: today. Airlines [sic] know only marginally more about the people who fly on their planes than they did ten years ago† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the researchers, today, more than ever before, the airlines need to make an urgent approach toward effective implication of the CRM approach if they really want to make a difference. This is fairly for the reason that if an airline adopts the CRM approach, there is empirical evidence that such an airline can easily increase its revenue by as high as 2.4 percent growing by every coming year, â€Å"representing a bottom-line annual impact of $100 million to $250 million for a large carrier† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the present scenario, most of the working airlines do not have sufficient feasible conditions and lack systems and other processes that are required to implement a CRM program and therefore they do not have absolute or reliable data on their customers. For example, though airlines have contact with their customers through a number of channels, such as the Internet, customer service desks, airports, and airplanes, what is simply the matter, data on these sites are not collected with a consistent pursuit or are not accurate at any of these points of customer-interaction activity. (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of the airlines cannot recognize their most precious customers, â€Å"because their frequent-flyer programs are little more than general-ledger systems that track accrued and spent miles. Although a general correlation does exist between the tiers of a frequent-flyer program and the value of the customers enrolled in them (meaning that in most cases a frequent flyer in the elite category is the most profitable kind of customer), further analysis can prove illuminating† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002). It must be noted in the same connection that different customers within the very tier usually hold widely differential degrees of value to different airlines, additionally, a small but noteworthy number of customers in the category of lower tiers. In this example, we can take the regular customers who let go of full fare out of their pockets. Such passengers can carry great value for the airline as compared to those customers who travel in the upper ones. (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002). One more critical problem is the reality that they scarcely know how much money their customers let go of with their competitors in the very market. For example, it is possible that a customer who travels by airline A, may also extensively travel by airline B, and â€Å"would thus be a more fruitful target for marketing than its own frequent travelers† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002). Thus what is required in the overall picture to meet greater customer satisfaction is CRM approach which not only has to yield great profitability conditions and enhanced market reputation for an airline, it also goes a long way on the continuum of customer satisfaction that can definitely satisfy today’s aggrieved and frustrated customer. The Experience of Singapore International Airlines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One airline that has surprised the critics of airline customer focus is the Singapore International Airlines. According to Smith (customerservicezone.com, 2008) Singapore International Airlines (SIA) is â€Å"so superior that it leaves other carriers in its vapor trails†. The very point that the author makes here is that the entire success story of the SIA is that â€Å"It places the needs of passengers first, and offers services above and beyond the ordinary†. With this airline, even the experience in the economy class is something that a traveler forgets hard. It is simply a remark that all classes seem to enjoy benefits with equal share of customer satisfaction. â€Å"One of the primary reasons Singapore Airlines provides superior service is because they only hire people that enjoy a service roleenjoy serving others† (Smith, 2008). Thus the example of SIA should be an eye-opener for other airlines too. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be fairly stated that there a number of complex matters which give birth to poor customer service by most of the present day airlines both public and private. If customer satisfaction means superior services on the part of airlines, it can be openly calimed that most of the airlines both local and global fail to meet this criterion. Although it is a right remark to suggest that much of this is credited to the regulations and rules that a government (in this case USA and the Deregulation Act along with decades-long labor laws, for insatnce) holds, it is not right to suggest that only government rules and regulations are solely responsible for a number of dissatisfactory segments of poor customer service by the airlines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A number of airlines do not practice such important approaches as CRM due to a number of reasons. Whatever they want, one thing empirically becomes clear that today’s customers continue to suffer on the hands of the airlines. Moreover, as quoted above, the suffering customers do not find a proper channel to voice their concerns with relation to massive frustration caused by airlines. Today, â€Å"little attention is being paid to the effect poor internal customer service has on overall customer satisfaction† which is a real problem (Harrison, n.d. principledprofit.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now according to my personal analysis of the entire situation, the poor customer service can only be reduced to an acceptable level only if three-dimensional approach is adopted. On this triangle first come the government that need to make policies that support the customers as the most important part of any airlines related rules and regulations. Next corner of this triangle is the airlines themselves that need to make sure that their customers do not feel that their services are still poor. For this very issue they need to look more closely at the area of customer contact and gather as many data as possible and sort them out in a technically sound manner so that they can be used to make sound empirical investigations. The last corner of this triangle is the customer themselves and airlines need â€Å"information about prospective new customers† (Hagel and Rayport, p. 3, 2002), for successful operations. Unless and until the customers are not considered an integral part of any policy and regulation, no better improvement toward the present meager state of poor customer service can be carved on the canvas of airline business. For this reason the customers must be involved in the process of change and alterations of any kinds. References    Avila, A. R. (August, 1999) Customer service is bad-and getting worse! USA Today. (128) 2651. Page Number: 10. COPYRIGHT 1999 Society for the Advancement of Education; COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group Binggeli, U., Gupta, S., Poomes, C. D. (2002).CRM in the air. The McKinsey Quarterly. Page Number: 6+. COPYRIGHT 2002 McKinsey Company, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group. Dempsey, P. S., Goetz, A. R. (1992). Airline deregulation and Laissez-faire mythology. Westport, CT.: Quorum Books, pp. 05-30. Doganis, R. (2001). The airline business in the twenty-first century. London: Routledge. pp. 200-225. Feltner, M. (2008). Airline customer service ratings down, and it shows. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/airline-customer-service-ratings-down-and-it-shows.html?id=2382874 Hagel III, J., Rayport, J. F. (2002). The coming battle for customer information. The McKinsey Quarterly. Issue: 3. Page Number: 64+. McKinsey Company, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group Harrison, C. (n.d.) Turning customer service inside out! How poor Internal customer service affects external customers. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.principledprofit.com/internal-customer-service.html John, J. (2003). Fundamentals of customer-focused management: competing through service. Westport, CT.: Praeger. pp. 05-30. Lindsey Russell (March, 2007). Surviving Airline Customer Service How to Cope with a Flawed System. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/166932/surviving_airline_customer_service.html Maier, T. W. (2002). Customer service is an oxymoron. Insight on the News (17) 1. Publication Date: January 1, 2001. Page Number: 20. COPYRIGHT 2001 News World Communications, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group. OConnor, W. E. (1995). An introduction to airline economics. Westport, CT.: Praeger, pp. 25-65. Reed, D. (2008). Airlines may never fly right on customer service, experts warn. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2007-10-16-bad-airline-service_N.htm Rosenthal, D. H. (2002). Legal turbulence: the courtss [sic.] misconstrual of the airline deregulation acts Preemption Clause and the effect on passengers rights. Duke Law Journal (51) 6. Publication Year: 2002. Page Number: 1857+. COPYRIGHT 2002 Duke University, School of Law; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group Smith, G. P. (2008). Secrets of superior customer service: Singapore International Airlines. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://customerservicezone.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=5769 Whalen, C. (March, 2004). The plane truth about airline woes; its not fallout from the 9/11 attacks that is causing the airline industry to crash, aviation experts contend but government overregulation and loose bankruptcy laws. Insight on the News. Page Number: 33. COPYRIGHT 2004 News World Communications, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

Ideal Women :: essays research papers

The American women of today can never be too thin or too pretty. In most cases thin equates beauty, so the present ideal is a thin, fit, radiantly healthy, young woman. In magazines stuffed with models and advertisements, billboards on the highway, and actresses on TV, the message of what women should look like is everywhere. The inescapable presence of these images in effect shapes the image of women today. It is very unfortunate that the media influences American society to the point that it defines the "ideal woman." According to Naomi Wolf, author of the bestselling book, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&offerid=6424&type=2&subid=0&url=http%253A//search.borders.com/fcgi-bin/db2www/search/search.d2w/Details%253F%2526mediaType%253DBook%2526prodID%253D2647098" >The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women<IMG border=0 alt=icon width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&bids=6424&type=2&subid=0" >, one reason media is so influential is "advertising is a 130 billion dollar a year industry. The average American watches 30 hours of TV a week and spends 110 hours a year reading magazines. That adds up to exposure to 1500 ads daily" (45). Advertising is a powerful educational force in our culture due to the simple fact of exposure. Eco nomics is also a significant factor in the development of the ideal image. There is a wealth of businesses that depend upon the American desire for thinness to survive. Exercise and diet companies are an example. In order to create a market for their product, they attempt to make women feel inadequate about their own bodies through advertisement. According to Wolf, "the diet industry has tripled its income in the past 10 years from a $10 billion industry to a $33.3 billion industry" (47). Other companies that cater to the current "large" population sell beauty, tactfully. As William Lutz points out in his article, "With these Words I can Sell You Anything," girdles are called body shapers or control garments (158), and in Diane White's article, "Euphemisms for the Fat of the Land," extra-extra large is changed to queen size (176). Either way, it is their diet, exercise, or control product that will get women on the way to the thinner, and better, more popular, sexy ideal. Advertisers manipulate women into thinking their value is dependent on their physical appearance. They appeal to that basic human desire to be wanted, accepted, and sexually attractive, as Charles O'Neill points out in his article, "The Language of Advertising"(163). One reason this "ideal" has manipulated the American society in particular, is that it appeals to some basic American values. Ideal Women :: essays research papers The American women of today can never be too thin or too pretty. In most cases thin equates beauty, so the present ideal is a thin, fit, radiantly healthy, young woman. In magazines stuffed with models and advertisements, billboards on the highway, and actresses on TV, the message of what women should look like is everywhere. The inescapable presence of these images in effect shapes the image of women today. It is very unfortunate that the media influences American society to the point that it defines the "ideal woman." According to Naomi Wolf, author of the bestselling book, <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&offerid=6424&type=2&subid=0&url=http%253A//search.borders.com/fcgi-bin/db2www/search/search.d2w/Details%253F%2526mediaType%253DBook%2526prodID%253D2647098" >The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women<IMG border=0 alt=icon width=1 height=1 src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=pcZ8g7DjAzA&bids=6424&type=2&subid=0" >, one reason media is so influential is "advertising is a 130 billion dollar a year industry. The average American watches 30 hours of TV a week and spends 110 hours a year reading magazines. That adds up to exposure to 1500 ads daily" (45). Advertising is a powerful educational force in our culture due to the simple fact of exposure. Eco nomics is also a significant factor in the development of the ideal image. There is a wealth of businesses that depend upon the American desire for thinness to survive. Exercise and diet companies are an example. In order to create a market for their product, they attempt to make women feel inadequate about their own bodies through advertisement. According to Wolf, "the diet industry has tripled its income in the past 10 years from a $10 billion industry to a $33.3 billion industry" (47). Other companies that cater to the current "large" population sell beauty, tactfully. As William Lutz points out in his article, "With these Words I can Sell You Anything," girdles are called body shapers or control garments (158), and in Diane White's article, "Euphemisms for the Fat of the Land," extra-extra large is changed to queen size (176). Either way, it is their diet, exercise, or control product that will get women on the way to the thinner, and better, more popular, sexy ideal. Advertisers manipulate women into thinking their value is dependent on their physical appearance. They appeal to that basic human desire to be wanted, accepted, and sexually attractive, as Charles O'Neill points out in his article, "The Language of Advertising"(163). One reason this "ideal" has manipulated the American society in particular, is that it appeals to some basic American values.

Mkt 310 Exam 2 Study Guide

MKT 310 : Exam 2 Study Guide BOOK Ch. 5 : International Trade Theory An Overview of Trade Theory: * The Benefits of Trade – Some international trade is beneficial, exchange products you can produce at a low cost for some products you cannot produce at all * Free Trade – The absence of government barriers to the free flow of goods and services between countries. * International trade allows a country to specialize in the manufacture and export of products it can produce most efficiently while importing products that can be produced more efficiently in other countries. Climate and natural resources explain why Ghana exports cocoa, and Saudi Arabia exports oil * Product Life-Cycle Theory – Early in their life cycles, most new products are produced in and exported from the country in which they were developed. As the product becomes accepted internationally, production begins to start in other countries. Thus suggesting that the product may ultimately be exported bac k to the country of its original innovation. New Trade Theory – Theory that sometimes countries specialize in the production and export of particular products not because of underlying differences in factor endowments, but because in certain industries the world market can support only a limited number of firms. Mercantilism: * Mercantilism – Originated in England, An economic philosophy advocating that countries should simultaneously encourage exports and discourage imports. It was in the countries best interest to maintain a trade surplus, to export more than it imported. Also advocated government intervention to achieve a surplus in the balance of trade. Zero-Sum Game – A situation in which an economic gain by one country results in an economic loss by another. The flaw with Mercantilism is that it is viewed as a Zero-Sum Game. * Critics think China is pursuing a neo-mercantilist society, deliberately keeping its currency value low against the U. S. dollar in order to sell more goods to the U. S. , thus creating a surplus and foreign exchange reserves. Absolute Advantage: * Absolute Advantage – A country has an absolute advantage in the production of a product when it is more efficient than any other country in producing it. According to Smith countries should specialize in the production of goods for which they have an absolute advantage and then trade these for goods produced by other countries. (Countries should never produce goods at home that it can buy at a lower cost from other countries. Comparative Advantage: * Comparative Advantage – It makes sense for a country to specialize in the production of those goods that it produces most efficiently and to buy the goods that it produces less efficiently from other countries, even if this means buying goods from other countries that it could produce more efficiently itself. Basic Message of Comparative Trade – Potential world production is greater with unrestricted free trade than it is with restricted free trade. * Immobile Resources – Resources do not always shift easily from on activity to another, some friction is involved. Belief that a country will produce less of some goods but more of others, however not everyone has the skills and knowledge to produce the greater good, thus some people may lose their jobs. * Diminishing Returns – When more units of a resource are required to produce each additional unit.First not all resources are of the same quality, and different goods use resources in different proportions. * Constant Returns to Specialization – The units of resources required to produce a good are assumed to remain constant no matter where one is on a country’s production possibility frontier. * Dynamic Effects and Economic Growth – Opening an economy to trade, might increase a countries stock of resources as increased suppliers of labor and capital from abroad become available for use within th e country, and free trade might increase the efficiency with which a country uses its resources. When a rich country(U. S. ) enters in free trade with a poor country(China) the lower prices that U. S. consumers pay for goods imported from China may not be enough to produce a net gain for the U. S. economy if the dynamic effect of free trade is to lower real wage rates in the U. S. * Evidence for the Link between Trade and Growth – Countries that adopt a more open stance toward international trade enjoy higher growth rates than those that close their economies to trade. Heckscher-Ohlin Theory: Comparative advantage arises from differences in national factor endowment, and by factor endowment they meant the extent to which a country is endowed with such resources as land, labor, and capital.. The Heckscher-Ohlin Theory predicts that countries will export those goods that make intensive use of factors that are locally abundant, while importing goods that make intensive use of fa ctors that are locally scarce. * The Leontief Paradox – Since U. S. was relatively abundant in capital compared to other nations, the U. S. would export capital intensive goods and import labor-intensive ones. However he found that the U.S. exports were less capital intensive than the imports. The Product Life-Cycle Theory: * Most new products were initially produced in the U. S. and sold in the U. S. markets first, the wealth and size of the U. S. can them strong incentives to develop new consumer products. , in addition the high cost of U. S. labor gave U. S. firms an incentive to develop cost-savings process innovations. These expensive goods are only appealing to the wealthy of other nations, thus there isn’t that much overall global interest, so no other countries feel it is necessary to start producing the product as well. New Trade Theory: The ability of firms to attain economies of scale might have important implications for international trade. * Economies of Scale – Unit cost reductions associated with a large scale of output * New Trade Theory makes 2 important points: * 1) Through its impact on economies of scale, trade can increase the variety of goods available to consumers and decrease the average costs of those goods. * 2) In those industries where the output required to attain economies of scale represents a significant proportion of total world demand, the global market may be able to support only a small number of enterprises. First-Mover’s Advantage are the economic and strategic advantages that accrue to early entrants into an industry. The ability to capture scale economies ahead of later entrants, and thus benefit from a lower cost structure, is an important first mover’s advantage. * Implications of New Trade Theory – generates for government intervention and strategic trade policy, a nation may befit from trade even if they do not differ in resource endowments or technology, trade allows a nati on to specialize in the production of certain products—attaining scales of economy and lowering cost.National Competitive Advantage: Porter’s Diamond * Porter theorizes that 4 broad attributes of a nation shape the environment in which local firms compete, and these attributes promote or impede the creation of competitve advantage. These attributes are†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ * Factor Endowments – A nations’ position in factors of production such as skilled labor or the infrastructure necessary to compete in a given industry (Advanced factors are the most significant competitive advantage. ) * Demand Conditions – the nature of home demand for the indutry’s product or service. Relating and Supporting Industries – the presence or absence of supplier industries and related industries that are internationally competitive. * Firm strategy, Structure, and Rivalry – The conditions governing how companies are created, organized, and managed and the nature of domestic rivalry. * He argues that firms are most likely to succeed in nindustries or industry segments where the diamond is most favorable.. The diamond is a mutually reinforcing system – meaning the effect of one attribute is contingent on the state of others. ———————————————— Ch. 6 : The Political Economy of International Trade Instruments of Trade Policy: * Tariffs – A tariff is a tax levied on imports (or exports. ) In most cases tariffs are placed on imports to protect domestic producers from foreign competition by raising the price of imported goods. Tariffs also produce revenue for the government. The government and the domestic producers gain from having tariffs, whereas the consumers lose. * 2 conclusions can be made about tariffs: First, tariffs are pro-producer and anti-consumer.Second, import tariffs reduce the overall efficiency of the world economy. (Tariffs encourage domestic products to be sold at home when they could be more efficiently sold in the global market. ) * Export tariffs raise money for the government, and they reduce exports from a sector, often for political reasons. * 2 Types of Tariffs: * Specific Tariffs – Levied as a fixed charge for each unit of a good imported (ex. $3 per barrel of oil) * Ad Valorem Tariffs – Levied as a proportion of the value of imported goods. Subsidies – A subsidy is a government payment to a domestic producer. By lowering production costs, subsidies help domestic producers in 2 ways: 1) competing against foreign imports and 2) gaining export markets. * Agriculture is the largest beneficiary of subsidies. * Non-Agriculture subsidy ex. Money given to Boeing and Airbus * The main gains from subsidies accrue to domestic producers, whose international competiveness is increased as a result. * Subsidies protect the inefficient and promote excess prod uction. Import Quotas and Voluntary Export Restraints – An import quota is a direct restriction on the quantity of some good that may be imported into a country * Tariff Rate Quota – The process of applying a lower tariff rate to imports within the quota than those over the quota. * Voluntary Export Restraint – A quota on trade imposed by the exporting country, typically at the request of the importing country’s government. Ex. Limitation on auto exports to the U. S. enforced by the Japanese automobile producers. * Quota Rent – The extra profit producers make when supply is artificially limited by an import quota. Local Content Requirements – A requirement that some specific fraction of a good be produced domestically. Ex. Buy America Act specifies that government agencies must give preference to American products when putting contracts for equipment out to bid unless the foreign products have a significant price advantage. * Administrative Policies * Administrative Trade Policies – Bureaucratic rules designed to make it difficult for imports to enter a country, as it has been argues that the Japanese are masters of this trade barrier. * Antidumping Policies Dumping – Selling goods in a foreign market at below their costs of production or below their â€Å"free† market value. Ex. 2 South Korean manufacturers of semiconductors were accused of selling microchips in the U. S. market at below their cost of production. * Anti-Dumping Policies – Policies designed to punish foreign firms that engage in dumping and thus protect domestic producers from unfair foreign competition. * Countervailing Duties – Antidumping duties. Political Arguments for Intervention: * Protecting Jobs and Industries – Tariffs placed on steel in 2002 by G.W. Bush were supposed to do this. * National Security – Protect the area of technological advancement, and the defense industries. * Retaliation â₠¬â€œ Use threat to intervene in trade policy as a bargaining tool to help open foreign markets and force trading partners to â€Å"play by the rules. † Ex. U. S. has used threat of punitive trade sanctions to try and get the Chinese government to enforce its intellectual property laws – China cost Microsoft hundreds of millions of dollars per year in lost sales revenues. * Protecting Consumers – Ex.Many countries decided to ban imports of American beef after one case of Mad Cow Disease was found. * Furthering Foreign Policies Objectives – Governments sometimes use trade policy to further support their foreign policy objectives. * Helms-Burton Act – This act allows American to sue foreign firms that use property in Cuba confiscated from them after the 1959 revolution. * DAmato Act – Act passed in 1996, similar to the Helms-Burton Act, but this one is aimed at Libya and Iran. * Protecting Human Rights – Ex.Debate over many years on whet her to grant the â€Å"Most Favorable Nation† to China — this is controversial bc many think China doesn’t regard human rights per the Tiananmen Square Massacre. * Protecting the Environment – Strong relation between income levels and environmental pollution/degradation. Ex. Carbon Emissions Tariff, etc. Economic Arguments for Intervention: * The Infant Industry Argument – New industries in developing countries must be temporarily protected from international competition to help them reach a position where they can compete on world markets with the firms of developed nations. Skepticism because protection of manufacturing from foreign competition does no good unless the protection helps make the industry efficient. Second, the infant industry argument relies on an assumption that firms are unable to make efficient long term investments by borrowing money from the domestic or international capital market. * Strategic Trade Policy – A Governme nt policy aimed at improving the competitive position of a domestic industry or domestic firm in the world market. It is argued that by appropriate actions, a government can help raise national income if it can somehow ensure that the firm(s) that gain first-movers advantage within an industry are domestic rather than foreign enterprises. * The second component of the strategic trade policy is that it might pay a government to intervene in an industry by helping domestic firms overcome the barriers to entry created by foreign firms that have already reaped the benefits of first-movers advantage. Development of the World Trading System , GATT, WTO: (Look in PPT slides for this info. )

List of Environmental Problems

List of Environmental Problems The earth's environment has become a pervasive and global problem. There is growing awareness about the need to conserve our environment. Read on to know the different environmental problems. Today the earth’s environment is in a sorry state. Wherever one looks, one encounters pollution. Forests are disappearing. The green patches in the city are being replaced by concrete buildings. Waste products are being dumped indiscriminately. Water is too toxic to drink. The air is unfit to breathe. Global warming has become a menacing issue. There is a question mark over the survival of life on the earth. The human race is at the brink of a self-created disaster. Truly there is a surfeit of environmental problems today. List of environmental problems There are a number of significant environmental problems today. They are as follows: * Loss of forest cover. Forest are being cut down for timber, construction and for obtaining extra agricultural land. * Air pollution. This is caused by polluting industries and vehicular traffic. Burning incinerators, furnaces and stoves cause it. Wind is responsible for spreading air pollution. The Ozone layer has been damaged because of the use of CFC’s (Chlorofluorocarbons) which are used in a number of industrial, commercial, and household applications. * Water pollution. Industries and factories release toxic wastes into the water. Leakage from oil tankers causes pollution of the sea. Pesticides and fertilizers also cause water pollution. Sewage released by cities into water bodies. It is predicted that there will be conflicts among nations because water will become scarce. * Overpopulation. The increase in human population increases demands for the water resources. More land is required for housing. There is increased demand for food for which more agricultural land is needed. More fuel is required. More automobiles cause more pollution. * Erosion of soil. When trees and plants are destroyed that causes increase in soil erosion. * Climate change and Global warming. Human activities cause climate change like increase in temperature. Many animal and plant species may be destroyed by climate change. * Introduction of genetically modified species. Humans are tinkering with the genes of various plants and animals. We do not fully understand how the introduction of new species will affect the environment. * Destruction of biodiversity. Many plant and animal species have become extinct or are approaching extinction because of human activities. These endangered species may have important uses in medicine and science for humans. * Devastation of natural habitats. Species such as tigers and lions are reducing in numbers because humans are steadily destroying the natural habitats which sustain them. * Diminishing natural resources. Mankind is using up natural resources at an alarming rate. Fuel, water, minerals, timber are being consumed rapidly. Oil and natural gas resources are expected to get over by the end of this century. * Marine habitats are being polluted. Overfishing has led to the extinction of many fish species. The oceans are vast but still vulnerable to pollution.

Free Essays on Marketing And Internet

In the last several years, the increased diffusion of computer and telecommunications technologies in businesses and homes has produced new ways for organizations to connect with their customers. These computer mediated environments (CMEs) such as the World Wide Web raise new research questions. In this paper, we examine the potential research issues associated with CMEs in five areas: (1) decision processes, (2) advertising and communications, (3) brand choice, (4) brand communities, and (5) pricing. In the last several years, the world of the marketing has changed dramatically with the rapid diffusion of computer and information technologies throughout businesses and homes. The two most notable changes that have increased potential of linking buyers and sellers are the number of households owning personal computers (over 33% in the U.S.) and the exponential growth of applications of the Internet, most notably the World Wide Web (WWW). With increased penetration of computers, particularly multi-media computers equipped with CD-ROM drives and modems, subscription-based services such as America Online (AOL), Prodigy, and Compuserve, where consumers are able to check airline flight schedules and make reservations, purchase a wide variety of products, and discuss product performance with other consumers, are becoming very popular. Households in Chicago and San Francisco can purchase groceries from home using computer software marketed by Peapod, Inc. This latter service allows consumers to search within a product category using attributes such as price, calories, sugar content, and package size. Car manufacturers such as BMW regularly mail CD-ROMs to potential customers with video shots of the cars and data both about the cars and their competitors. Durable goods can be purchased through CUC International’s Shopper’s Advantage membership-based service (www.cuc.com). â€Å"Virtual† shopping experien ces (Burke 1996) enable marketing r... Free Essays on Marketing And Internet Free Essays on Marketing And Internet In the last several years, the increased diffusion of computer and telecommunications technologies in businesses and homes has produced new ways for organizations to connect with their customers. These computer mediated environments (CMEs) such as the World Wide Web raise new research questions. In this paper, we examine the potential research issues associated with CMEs in five areas: (1) decision processes, (2) advertising and communications, (3) brand choice, (4) brand communities, and (5) pricing. In the last several years, the world of the marketing has changed dramatically with the rapid diffusion of computer and information technologies throughout businesses and homes. The two most notable changes that have increased potential of linking buyers and sellers are the number of households owning personal computers (over 33% in the U.S.) and the exponential growth of applications of the Internet, most notably the World Wide Web (WWW). With increased penetration of computers, particularly multi-media computers equipped with CD-ROM drives and modems, subscription-based services such as America Online (AOL), Prodigy, and Compuserve, where consumers are able to check airline flight schedules and make reservations, purchase a wide variety of products, and discuss product performance with other consumers, are becoming very popular. Households in Chicago and San Francisco can purchase groceries from home using computer software marketed by Peapod, Inc. This latter service allows consumers to search within a product category using attributes such as price, calories, sugar content, and package size. Car manufacturers such as BMW regularly mail CD-ROMs to potential customers with video shots of the cars and data both about the cars and their competitors. Durable goods can be purchased through CUC International’s Shopper’s Advantage membership-based service (www.cuc.com). â€Å"Virtual† shopping experien ces (Burke 1996) enable marketing r...

Of Mice and Men Quotes

Of Mice and Men Quotes The following Of Mice and Men quotes represent some of the most significant elements of the novel, including the themes of nature, strength, and dreams. Additionally, Steinbecks use of vernacular language and colloquial dialects is evident in many of these passages. A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees- willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winter’s flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool. This passage, which serves as the novels opener, establishes from the very beginning the importance of land and nature to the text- specifically, an idealized version of nature. The river runs â€Å"deep and green,† the water is â€Å"warm,† the sands are â€Å"yellow†¦in the sunlight,† the foothills â€Å"golden,† the mountains â€Å"strong,† and the willows â€Å"fresh and green. Each adjective is positive and healthy. Taken together, these descriptions create a romanticized image of the natural world. The passage suggests that the natural world is epic and powerful, the animals and plants living blissfully and peacefully according to their natural rhythms, coming and going as they please, untouched by man’s destructive hand. â€Å"There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water. In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore there is an ash pile made by many fires; the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it.† Untouched, that is, until the beginning of the second paragraph, when into this scene come â€Å"boys,† and â€Å"tramps,† who wreak all manner of havoc on this natural scene. The path through the willows soon becomes a â€Å"path beaten hard as the men walk all over it, ruining it of its proper tenderness. There is an â€Å"ash pile by many fires,† which suggests more harm to the landscape, both in that it implies the area is well-traveled, as well as because fires are damaging to the ground upon which they burn. Moreover, these frequent visits have â€Å"worn smooth† a tree limb that the men have used as a bench, deforming it. This paragraph introduces the uneasy balance, central to the novel, between an idealized version of the natural world and the actual version in which people live- in other words, the world of mice and the world of men. The more the world of men tries to attain or possess the world of mice, the more they harm it, and consequently the more they lose it. â€Å"That mouse ain’t fresh, Lennie; and besides, you’ve broke it pettin’ it. You get another mouse that’s fresh and I’ll let you keep it a little while.† This statement, made by George to Lennie, reveals Lennie’s gentle nature, as well as his inability to prevent his physical power from bringing destruction upon those smaller than him. Throughout the novel, Lennie is often seen petting soft objects, ranging from a mouse to a rabbit to a womans hair. In this particular passage, nothing of consequence comes of Lennies actions- he is simply touching a dead mouse. However, the moment foreshadows another scene: later in the novel, Lennie attempts to stroke Curleys wifes hair and accidentally breaks her neck in the process. Lennies unintended but inevitable acts of destruction serve as a metaphor for humanitys destructive nature. Despite our best laid plans, the novel suggests, humans cannot help but leave behind a ruinous wake. I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, and’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’ I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s just’ in their head.† In this speech, a farmhand named Crooks rejects Lennie’s notion that he and George will one day buy a piece of land and live off of it. Crooks claims that he has heard many people make these sort of claims before, but that none of them have ever come to fruition; rather, he says, â€Å"it’s just in their head.† This statement encapsulates Crooks’ (justified) skepticism about George and Lennie’s plan, as well as a deeper doubt about anyones ability to attain whatever idealized sanctuary they have envisioned for themselves. According to Crooks, â€Å"[n]obody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. Whether the dream is eternal spiritual salvation, or just a few acres to call your own, nobody can actually achieve it.  Ã‚   ‘We’ll have a cow,’ said George. ‘An’ we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens†¦an’ down the flat we’ll have a†¦little piece alfalfa- ‘For the rabbits,’ Lennie shouted.‘For the rabbits,’ George repeated.‘And I get to tend the rabbits.’‘An’ you get to tend the rabbits.’Lennie giggled with happiness. â€Å"An’ live on the fatta the lan’.’ This exchange between George and Lennie takes place at the end of the novel. In it, the two characters describe for each other the farm they hope to live on one day. They plan to have rabbits, pigs, cows, chickens, and alfalfa, none of which they currently have access to on the barley farm. The dream of having their own farm is a refrain to which the pair often returns throughout the book. Lennie seems to believe the dream is realistic, even if currently out of reach, but for most of the book, it is unclear whether George shares that belief or simply considers it an idle fantasy that helps him get through the day. By the time this scene occurs, however, George is preparing to kill Lennie, and he clearly knows the farm dream will never become reality. Interestingly, even though they have had this conversation before, only now does George assent when Lennie asks him if they can have rabbits- a recurring symbol throughout the book- on the farm. Given that he is about to shoot Lennie, this juxtaposition implies that, for the characters of Of Mice and Men, the more they hope to attain in the real world, the further from it they must travel.

Sales Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sales - Case Study Example Similar is the case at Shields where a new manager leading a sales team that is facing issues in accepting company’s new sales policy (which is in line with that of its main competitor) that is to generate sales through big accounts rather than several small ones as done earlier. Continuation with the same tactic of implementing the new policy over the sales team might result in more slumps in sales quota and increased drop outs that would result in mismanagement of the existing accounts hence further decline in sale level. Summary of the Facts Shield is an Insurance company that provides customized insurance and risk management programs to all size of commercial enterprises. Shield is a result oriented company. Their main objective is profit maximization through increased sales revenue. Following the footsteps of its major competitor the higher management decided to implement a new sales strategy namely First-Plus to increase revenues by bringing in larger accounts. Training of new managers done in theoretical manner through manuals in only 5 days period. Training comprising majorly of introducing First-Plus a new policy for sales rather than how to manage a sales team effectively as well as efficiently.